The Next Selection: Prince Carter
by selection12530
Summary: Prince Carter, son of Eadlyn Shreave, is to be the next heir. After his 18th birthday, his parents decide that it's time to host another Selection. in order to find the new Princess of Ilea.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi! So this is a continuation of the Selection Series. Princess Eadlyn's son, Prince Carter, is going to have his very own Selection, please review! All comments are helpful, and I am completely open to suggestions, ideas, and comments!**

 **Chapter 1: Prince Carter POV**

It was the fifth selection that Ilea had held, and so obviously there was no way out of it. My parents had found each other through the Selection, my grandparents had found each other through the selection, and my great grandparents had as well. Selections weren't only a way of distracting the people of Ilea with all the fuss and commotion, but also a way of finding a partner for the next heir to the Ilean throne. Being the eldest child of the current leaders of Ilea, Queen Eadlyn and King Kile Shreave, I had to inherit all the responsibilities, including the fact that I had to take part in a Selection.

Ever since my 18th birthday I knew this was coming; there was no possible way of avoiding it, for it was tradition. Ever since my parents brought up the Selection, it's all I can think about. And clearly there is no possible way of avoiding it. I don't want to disappoint the people of Ilea; I know it's my job to keep them happy, but the Selection is no easy process.

The day my parents told me what was in store for me, they were obviously expecting me not to be completely okay with it. Of course, when my mother was my age she didn't want to have a Selection either, but she always says that she would have never met Dad if it my grandparents hadn't forced her to take part in her own Selection back when she was a princess. Of course, only the eldest child of the royal family had to take part in a Selection. All the other kids got of easy. Mom's twin brother ended up becoming king of France after marrying the princess Camille, back in the day. Mom also had two other brothers who also married into foreign royal families. But my mother had become Queen Eadlyn Shreave of Ilea.

Currently in my family there is me Sierra and Noah. Sierra is about a year and a half younger than me, but acts like she is ten times more mature. Noah is the youngest, and he's only 11. Both Noah and Sierra both look a ton alike. They look just like my grandmother, Queen America. They all three have fiery red hair and eyes that look like the morning sky. I look more like my grandfather Maxon with honey blond hair, but I have my dad's blue eyes. In a way, I look like a mix of both my father and my grandfather. But, my mother looked like she was born in a completely different family with her brown hair different features. Noah is still pretty young, so he gets to spend his days carelessly, and he only has to worry on Fridays when he needs to look perfect on the Report. The Report went on TV every Friday for an hour and a half, during which the royal family updated the people on current events. This week on the Report, they would be announcing my upcoming Selection. I am getting more and more nervous about it as time goes by. Thank goodness for Sierra though, I don't know what I would do without my little sister. She already agreed to be my spy and to update me on all the girls who could potentially be my future wife. Also, she helps me with work. My mother believed that it wasn't only the firstborn that had to help work on national problems, so Sierra helps me and we are trained to be rulers together. I'll bet it'll come in handy after she marries into the royal family and ends up ruling over some other country.

In two days the Selection would be official. I wonder what it'll be like. Of course, it'll be a new adventure for me. I haven't dated a girl before, much less 35 of them. But I wonder what it'll be like for the girls. Dad told me what it was like when he was a part of the Selection. But of course, that was different because he was with 34 other men, not women. My grandfather told me what his Selection was like, and it didn't sound to great to me. But I do know how happy both royal couples were together, the Selection definitely worked for them, so I guess it will have to work for me too.

Friday came very quickly. Life at the palace became busy as ever, leaving no time for either Sierra or me to relax or do anything fun. Sierra had to make arrangements for all the ladies. After all, I don't know what kind of furniture a girl would want in her room or what she would want to do for fun. She also had to figure out what food was to be served, how many attendants each lady needed, and other things of the sort. My mother was much to busy to anything like that. She was a full time mother and a full time Queen.

While Sierra worked on making arrangements in the palace, I worked on making arrangements outside the palace. I had to figure out how the women would be brought safely to the palace from their home provinces, and then I had to figure out how the Selection would take place. My grandfather met all the ladies and took the time to speak privately to each one and my mother had each man taken to her individually upon their arrival. Also, how would I figure out who to keep and who to send home? I guess I'll figure it out when the time comes. But for now I had to focus on the report. I put on my black suit and one of my favorite ties and headed down to the set of the Report where all the chairs were set up for my family and the other members of the government. I looked around the room to find the one person I really wanted to see.

"Are you ready Carter?" asked Sierra with a flip of her red ponytail.

"Nope, not one bit" I replied with a smile.

"Just relax, it'll be fine. I'm sure at least a few girls will apply."

"Thanks Sierra." I chuckled. She always knew what to say. She should be the one to have her own Selection.

"Honestly though, no stress. It's supposed to be fun for all of us. Tonight's the easy part; just wait until they all get here. It's totally going to be complete mayhem. And by the end of it I'll have a sister. It's about time; I can't deal with all the boys in the house anymore. Between you, Noah and dad I might as well just start wearing suits too." We both chuckled again.

By that time we decided we should start getting to our seats for the Report, so I went to go get Noah while Sierra went to talk with our parents on the set. We all took our places and the cameras started rolling. As usual, the department heads gave summaries about current events, updating and assuring that everything was going well in the country. I didn't hear a word because all I could think about was how crazy the country was going to become. Everyone would be excited and everyone would be preparing for the Selection. Then, the host of the show, Gavril Fadaye walked on stage and introduced the family.

"Welcome to the Report! Today we have some news from our very own beloved Prince and future King of Ilea, Prince Carter Shreave! Come on down, your Highness!"

I walked down to the stage where an empty chair was placed for me.

"Hello Gavril, thank you. Today I have some very important news. Because I have recently turned of age, the Shreave family has decided that it is time to host another Selection." I heard gasps throughout the audience, but I continued, "All girls of ages 16 to 19 will be eligible to enter the lottery and I hope that everyone will celebrate with me as I search for my future wife and the next daughter of Ilea." I delivered the lines that my mother had written for me and waited for Gavril's reply.

"Wow! That's fantastic! I encourage every young lady in Ilea to enter, for I know this young man is definitely worth it. Prince Carter, how are you feeling about the Selection? "

"Well, I am most definitely very excited. I am ready to find my soul mate, and even though the Selection is complicated, it brought my parents and grandparents together, and I'm sure the process will work for me too."

"Well said! Princess Sierra, how are you feeling about it?"

"I am ecstatic! More girls in the house means more fun for me, so I am definitely looking forward to it and I'm sure Noah is excited as well." Everyone looked towards my little brother who was laughing quietly in his seat.

"Well, that is it for tonight's Report. In two short weeks we will be announcing the names of the young ladies who will be taking part in the next Selection. May the odds be ever in your favor! Thank you and good night."

And with that, the Report was over, and I knew nothing would ever be the same again. This Selection was going to be crazy, and I knew that if I was taking part in it, we'd have to make sure that it would fun as heck.


	2. Chapter 2

**Charlotte POV:**

Two weeks ago, Prince Carter Shreave announced that he was going to hold another Selection in order for him to find his next wife and future Princess of Ilea. Ever since then, my mother and my sister Ava were hopping around the house as if they had won the lottery. My sister Ava is a year younger than me; I am 17 and she is 16. Considering we were both in the age range of girls who could sign up to be chosen for the Selection. Ava was happy because she might become the next Princess of Ilea, and my mother was happy because she had two daughters who had a chance to become royalty. They both thought I was crazy for not being as excited as they were. I come from a big family. Family is the most important thing to me. I didn't want to go off to the palace for some guy I didn't even know, and I wasn't even planning on signing up. Of course, who didn't like the handsome Prince Carter, but I was needed back at home to work and take care of my siblings. We weren't all that wealthy and every child needed to bring in at least a little money to help out.

When my mom found out about my opinion, she wasn't all that pleased, but she understood, and I was thankful for that. After all, my family needed me to help take care of everyone. I was very nervous for my sister; I didn't want her to be chosen to take part in the Selection. She was such a happy person; I didn't want the Prince of Ilea to break her heart, she deserved so much better.

On Friday, before the Report, my family was going crazy. There was a 1 in a million chance that Ava would even be chosen to go to the palace, so I wasn't too worried. We all sat around the small TV screen in the living room and waited for the Report to commence. When it finally did, the screen lit up and the Ilean anthem played, and then Gavril Fadaye, the host, took the screen.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of Ilea" he cried. "Welcome to the weekly Report. Today we will be skipping the formalities, no need for updates on current events, we have a much more exciting matter at hand. Today we will be announcing the ladies who will be taking part in the Selection and will compete for the hand of Prince Carter Shreave!" Everyone clapped in the studio on the screen, and everyone in the room was practically shivering with excitement. I found myself hugging Ava because after all, I wanted her to be happy.

"In a few short minutes, we will be announcing the names of the wonderful ladies, one of which will become the next Queen on Ilea! First, let's hear from our royal family. Prince Carter, are you ready to meet these ladies?"

"I sure am, Gavril. I'm excited to meet them, but first I'm excited to know who they are. I'll be hearing their names for the first time tonight, just like everyone else."

"How exciting. What are you looking for in the Selection?"

"I'm looking for my future wife; someone who I'll spend the rest of my life with. I don't know what I'm looking for, but I think I'll know when I find it. Most of all, I want this Selection to be fun for everyone, so I'm hoping to have a good time with these lovely ladies."

His reply to Gavril seemed way to written out, it didn't really seem genuine. How could the Prince have a good time when he's going to be dating 35 girls all at once, and when he has to break 34 hearts and find the future Princess? It seemed crazy to me, and I knew it certainly wouldn't be fun for the girls.

Gavril continued talking: "I certainly hope you have a fabulous Selection, and I wish both you and all the ladies good luck. Queen Eadlyn, King Kile, and words of advice for either the ladies or Prince Carter?"

The queen spoke immediately: "Like the great Queen Amberly said: be yourself. It's old advice, but it's good advice. "

"Thank you Queen Eadlyn. We shall now find out the names of the ladies of the Selection, one of which will become the next Queen of Ilea!"

Then, the screen went black except for a little corner of the screen in which there was a live camera showing Carter so that everyone could see his expression as he saw the ladies for the first time. Then Gavril started reading the names:

"Best of luck to all these ladies. Here we go. Miss Morgan Freeman from Carolina!" A gorgeous girl's picture appeared on screen. She looked like she was definitely going to be a competitor with her fierce expression in the picture. Carter beamed and a series of claps erupted on the screen.

"Miss Natalia Percival from Montana." Another brunette appeared on the screen and everyone clapped again. Another series of ladies were named as Gavril continued down the list. Carter seemed just as happy to see each and every picture.

"Miss Hope Millington of York" A gorgeous blond was shown, but the girl looked especially friendly and genuine. I think out of all of them so far, she definitely would make the best princess. It seemed to me like all the girls called seemed like gorgeous ladies. There is no way that this pick was random. Gavril called more and more names.

"Miss Audrey Fleming of New England." Audrey had the prettiest hair every. It was a strawberry blonde color that I had never seen before. "And last but not least" exclaimed Gavril "from Dakota, Miss Charlotte Roberts…"

I dropped the glass I was holding in my left hand, and I didn't even hear what Gavril said next. My whole family started screaming with happiness. I didn't even know what to think.

It turned out that my mother had entered me into the lottery without my permission because she knew I wouldn't do it myself. She just didn't think that I would actually be chosen. But now that I was officially one of the Selected, there was no way out of it, and so I would have to leave my family, go to the palace, and prepare to endure whatever the Prince of Ilea would throw at me.

 **Hope POV:**

After my name was called during the Report, my whole life started to revolve around the Selection. People had started coming to my house for clothes fittings, to make sure I was in good health, and to prepare me. Yesterday I had my send off. My dad and brothers said goodbye to me with all the other people from my province in the town square, and my dad told me that my mother would have been proud of me, and that he was sure that I would do great things. That meant a lot coming from my dad considering he never was the talkative or emotional type. Afterwards I was taken to the airport in a fancy car, and I took an airplane to Angeles where the palace was. Then I was taken to the makeover area. I saw other members of the Selected. While I waited for orders, I sat with another girl who I immediately recognized as Charlotte Roberts. She didn't seem all that happy so I decided to talk to her.

"Hi! I'm Hope."

"I know, I'm Charlotte" she replied. "Nice to meet you! I absolutely love your eyes, I've always wanted eyes like that."

"Thanks! I love yours. Are you excited to meet the Prince?"

"I'm nervous mostly, but I'm really wondering what these makeovers will be like. I honestly don't really want to change myself…"

"Me either. Don't worry; we won't let them change us completely. We can stick together Besides, I think the Prince wants to keep us happy, so these people can't make us do anything we don't want to do." I noticed that Charlotte had a unique glow about her. Her white blonde hair and blue eyes fit perfectly with her friendly personality. We were two stereotypical blondes; I had light green eyes and blonde hair that was just a shade darker.

A new lady appeared and started giving out orders.

"Take Lady Charlotte to station 6 for her makeover, and take Lady Hope to station 8." I followed my station manager to the station, where he began to talk to me.

We discussed my 'image'. He was convinced that I needed to change completely. I didn't want to change, but he was convinced that I should at least make a couple modifications. So, I ended up getting hair extensions, and slightly darker caramel streaks were died into my hair. Then, ladies came and washed me, put lotion on me, and did my nails and makeup. Afterwards, they showed me to a small closet in which a couple dresses were waiting for me to wear. I chose a short green day dress to wear that matched my eyes. I put it on and then I was lead into the palace and into a room in which other girls were situated. My new long hair felt different, but in a good way. After all, the person making decisions knew what was best for me, and he knew what would improve my look. I sat down in a chair to await the arrival of the other 34 Selected.

More girls walked into the room just as I had and I recognized a few from the Report, and after some time, Charlotte came in and sat next to me. She hadn't changed all that much either, though her long thin hair was a shade or two darker. Instead of white hair she had more of a light blonde hair color.

"Wow, your hair looks fabulous" I exclaimed.

"Thank you, as does yours. The long hair really suits you."

"Looks like we have some tough competition… look at her." We both turned our heads towards the tall brunette walking into the room. She had a fierce attitude about her, and one could sense her pride simply by the way she walked. Her caramel colored, medium length hair swished back and forth as she walked. Her ruby red lipstick matched her nails and her dress. Obviously she was in it to win it. Charlotte and I looked at each other with dismay. No way a girl like her was going to beat us.

"That must be Morgan. Yikes. She might as well be made of makeup." We both chuckled as an older lady walking into the room followed by Princess Sierra herself.

"Ladies, welcome," announced the older Lady. "I am Silvia, and I will be your supervisor. I will be teaching you how to become a perfect Princess. As you know, this here is Princess Sierra. She will also be helping you with your initiation. First point of order, curtsies. Whenever you enter a room or greet a member of the royal family, you must curtsy. Starting now." We all sank into deep curtsies, and then Silvia continued. Princess Sierra stood next to her in a white dress sewed to perfection. Her red hair was pulled back and she stood like a perfect lady. I had so much to learn from her. We were then introduced to the room in which we stood; the women's room. Silvia explained that we would be able to stay here during free time to talk with others and to learn.

Silvia pressed on with more etiquette lessons. "Ladies, tomorrow morning you will meet the Prince. For now, we will show you to your rooms and you may either stay there until dinner time or you may come back to the women's room until it is time to eat."

We were all then led out to our rooms, and one by one we were each shown to a different door. The palace seemed to be a giant maze with corridors going in every direction. Every once and a while we would pass a guard or an attendant rushing from one place to another. When I was finally shown to my room, I entered and was greeted by three smiling ladies all in uniform. I realized that these must be my maids. They were all too willing to help me with whatever I wanted, and they were very sweet.

I decided that I should eventually go back up to the women's room before dinner, so I talked to my maids for a little bit and headed back into the palace corridors.


	3. Chapter 3

**Audrey POV:**

After the makeovers upon our first arrival at the palace, all 35 ladies were given a pep talk about how to act. During the talk, I didn't hear a word Silvia said. All I could think about was the palace and how beautiful it was. The ceiling in the women's room was painted in a beautiful pattern, and the marble floors were so intricate. When we were led to our rooms, the corridors we walked through were amazing, and while there were so many of them, no two looked exactly the same.

In my room, three young maids greeted me with enthusiasm, and they questioned me about my adventures so far. They were very helpful and it felt great to be able to talk to some people who wouldn't judge me based off of a first impression. Ever since all the girls arrived at the palace, I could feel all the other girls eying me and judging each other simply based off of appearances. But after all, it was the Prince who was going to do the choosing, so it didn't matter what we all thought of each other.

Before I was brought to the palace I took the time to learn the names of all the girls, so that way I could match a name to a face easily. Also, it was a good way to figure out who was going to be a possible friend and who was going to be a fierce competitor. Above all, I was excited to meet the Prince, and I think I speak for all the Selected when I say that.

After I talked to my maids for a little bit, I headed up to the women's room to talk to the other girls. I left my room and said a quick goodbye to the ladies and I made my way back through the maze of hallways in the palace.

Once I arrived, I noticed that plenty of girls were already talking in little groups. In one corner of the room there was a small group of girls who were chattering happily, and they were dressed in more of a casual manner. In another corner there was a group of girls in the most fancy dresses I had ever seen. I saw Morgan, a tall brunette, in the mix, along with Angelica, a blonde. They all seemed to be wearing loads of makeup, and they were talking to each other, but I wouldn't describe them as being happy. They all had more of a fierce aura about them, and they didn't seem all that friendly. There were other girls sitting or reading quietly in areas by themselves.

After a quick assessment of the situation, I decided to go join two girls who were talking in the middle of the room. I recognized them immediately as Georgia and Rebecca. Georgia had dark auburn hair and green eyes, and Rebecca had medium length blonde hair and blue eyes. Neither looked very much like me, for I have strawberry, or light red hair and blue eyes. I guess in a way I'm a mix of both of them. I decided I might as well join the conversation.

"Hi! I'm Audrey. You guys are Georgia and Rebecca, right?"

Georgia replied happily, "Hi Audrey! Yep, we were just talking about Prince Carter!" As she said his name I saw both of their eyes shine.

"Yes, I'm very excited to meet him." Exclaimed Rebecca. She seemed like the picture of a perfect queen.

"I'm excited to get to know him, and see what he's like off camera. We only know him from the Report. "

"Exactly. I don't even know what to expect, I'm just going to hope that he likes me! Not only is he a prince, but a handsome one too," I whispered. We all giggled happily. Georgia started talking and I looked around at the other girls in the room.

After a little while, Silvia came in and told us it was time for dinner. We all gathered into the dining hall while Silvia taught more palace rules and etiquette.

We ate and then went back to our rooms to go to bed. I think we were all nervous, but if we were nervous, I couldn't imagine what Prince Carter was feeling.

 **Hope POV:**

After dinner, we were all sent to our rooms to get ready for the next day. When I entered, my maids greeted me happily and asked me about everything; I had never seen a more chipper bunch. I was so happy to have people to talk to, and people I could trust. After all, I couldn't really trust just any of the Selected because we all want the same thing: Carter.

The next morning I was awoken by the soft voice of my head maid:

"Good morning miss! Breakfast has arrived! Rise and shine."

"Nooooooo" I groaned. My maids all chuckled, so I decided I might as well get up and eat something, for today we would meet the Prince! My maids gave me a bath and I put on a comfortable dress and started prepping myself for the day. I wore a white dress that had streaks of light green in different places, the same color as my eyes. It went down to just above my knees and it fit loosely all the way down my back.

While I liked wearing fancy clothes like this, I definitely missed my normal clothes at home. Nothing is really the same as sweatpants and a giant warm sweatshirt. Facing the fact that I would have to look nice, I put on some white heels and headed to the women's room for the tea party during which we would meet the Prince.

As I was walking, I heard the quick steps of a girl behind me.

"Hope!" Charlotte came running up behind me. "Hi!"

"Hi Charlotte! How's it going?"

"I'm doing alright, I'm mostly trying to keep from falling in these shoes." Her heels were slightly shorter than mine, but I could still tell she was struggling not to fall over. She was wearing a dress that was dark blue and about the same length as mine. As we both laughed, she continued talking. "This palace is crazy beautiful. I can only imagine living here. Hope, you like singing right? I remember you saying something about that last night in the women's room! We should totally sing a duet sometime!"

"That would be super fun! We should plan to do that super soon. If we both stay, that is. I'm so excited to meet the Prince! I really wonder what he's like!"

"Me too. I hope he likes me! For now mostly because I couldn't imagine having to leave the palace already, I haven't even been able to see half of it yet! " As she finished her sentence we successfully arrived at the women's room, thankfully without getting lost. When we entered, I noticed that most of the girls were already there, and Silvia was greeting us happily at the door.

"Good morning ladies! You came right on time. In a few short minutes you will be able to meet the royal family." She claimed.

I realized that the other girls were wearing much fancier dresses than me. Some were even wearing full out gowns Charlotte saw me looking around nervously and immediately understood what I was thinking.

"Don't worry Hope, they're all way too dressed up anyway. Plus you don't even need a dress to make you look pretty, you face just screams fabulous already." I immediately starting laughing loudly, and most of the girls turned to look at me, but then continued their own conversations. "See, they noticed it already!" Charlotte was way too funny for her own good. I gave her a friendly punch in the shoulder and we both laughed quietly. The last of the girls trickled into the room and Silvia came to talk to us.

"Ladies, attention please. In a couple minutes we will be heading to the Grand Hall where you will meet the prince. This will be completely televised, and parts will be shown for this week's Report. This will kind of be like a tea party, but with the whole royal family. Make sure to remember your manners and be as perfect as possible! The public is looking for you to make a mistake, so be the best you can be."

She turned then to lead us out the doors and to the Grand Hall. I walked next to Charlotte and right behind Georgia and Audrey, the two redheads.

Once we arrived in the room, I immediately noticed all the cameramen bustling around, and I decided I should stand a little taller and look a little more poised than my usual self. We all stood in lines as we waited for the royal entrance.

Then, the grand doors that we were all facing swung open, and in walked the Prince himself with his little brother and his older sister. The room fell silent, except for bustle of the cameramen. From my spot in the back, I could see his hair shining in the light and his smile showing. All the ladies curtsied as best we could and tried our best to act perfectly. Soon after, the King and the Queen also walked in, as well, looking as regal as ever.

"Good morning! As you all probably know, I'm Prince Carter, and I wanted to welcome you all here to my humble abode." We all chuckled, even the Queen smiled. "I know it's hard to leave your families all of a sudden, and I wanted to thank you for coming here. I believe that in the room there is a woman that one-day I will marry, and even though it sounds crazy, I hope it to be true. Normally Selections are serious, and can be competitive, but for this Selection I hope it will be a bit different. I hope that my Selection will be more fun. We're all here together, so we might as well have a good time." A couple girls giggled silently. "But honestly, thank you all, and I hope to soon be able to get to know each and every one of you, and my future wife ad Princess of Ilea."

When we finished we all clapped, and he went back to go talk to his sister, Princess Sierra. We all began talking as well as tea was brought to us. The tea party had started, the Prince had started talking to each girl, but more importantly, the competition had begun.T


	4. Chapter 4

The tea party passed quickly with hundreds of curtsies and laughs. We all drank tea and talked with each other, and we were able to talk to the Prince in little groups, and some people were able to talk to him alone. Sadly, I didn't get to talk to him by myself, but I did get to talk to him with a group, and I was more than happy for that opportunity.

The Prince was much more good looking in person than on television. His dreamy blue eyes were enough to make you faint. And he was ever so strong looking; you could practically sense his strength and his presence.

He sat down with my group of girls, and he asked for all of our names, and we all talked. All of us girls were perfectly poised and acted with complete elegance. He asked us how we liked the palace, what the ideal first date would be if this were a normal situation. His questions were great, and we all had a great time. Looking bad on it, it was pretty well planned, and I was pretty happy with how it all went.

As I laid on my bed in my casual dress, I thought about everything that had happened. In my opinion, everything had gone well, and I had been perfect, or at least as perfect as I could have been.. My maids bustled around me, planning outfits and talking to each other. I was so thankful that they gave me time to think to myself without pestering me with the normal questions. I would definitely talk to them later, it's the least I could do, and I always enjoyed their company.

I really missed my family. My brothers and my dad were always there for me no matter what, and I knew that Mom's spirit was with me too, even though she couldn't physically be with me. I decided that I might as well write them a letter while I had the chance.

 _Dear Dad,_

 _I miss you guys a ton you have no idea. I'm currently at the palace, and it is gorgeous. I know you all would love it. It's kind of awkward competing with other girls for a guy. I'm more used to competing for trophies, or for first place. Normally, the prize isn't an actual person. But, if the competition were anything mildly athletic, I would definitely beat all the girls here. Don't worry, though, I'm not showing my competitive side; I'm being the perfect little lovely lady. Don't laugh; it's hard being girly when you grow up with 5 guys in the house. To be honest, it's really stressful being here. I don't want to let you guys down, and I'm so nervous all the time. There's nothing really interesting to do, and of course I can't go running in the palace hallways, they would definitely kick me out. Any ideas? Also, I don't know how to get the Prince's attention. He seems like a good guy, and I want to get to know him, but he never seems to notice me. Thank you guys for everything, I hope you are all doing all right without me!_

 _A thousand hugs and kisses,_

 _Hope_

After a little, I went to read a book. As I was reading, I heard an anxious knock at my door. I yelled out to tell my maids that I would get it, and they nodded happily towards me. I put my hand on the knob and opened it. In front of me was one of the Selected, who I recognized as Morgan.

She had caramel colored hair and skin. She was one of the girls who insisted on wearing the most make-up. She definitely was a competitor, and a serious one for that matter, though I think she was mostly competition for the crown and not for Carter.

"Hi." I decided I might as well treat her with kindness because there was no reason to be rude. I'm always told not to judge a book by its cover.

"Hey. I'm Morgan. Have you seen either Georgia or the Prince since the tea party?" She let herself in and started pacing in my room.

"No, I've been in my room the whole time. Why do you ask?"

"Apparently, they are together on a date. I don't know what she did to get the first date with him, but it definitely isn't okay. She isn't even that pretty!" She got right to the point, and definitely wasn't sugar coating her emotions. I guess she could be judged by her emotions, and her physicality was just as fierce as her personality. I definitely didn't want to be on her bad side. But I was more caught up by the new information she was giving me.

"They what? A date? But how!" I couldn't believe it.

"Yeah, I know right. You were in her group at the tea party, right? What did they say to each other?" She began to throw questions at me urgently.

"I don't really know. I didn't notice anything specific or special. We were just talking about perfect first dates. I remember her saying something about a pool… I can't quite remember exactly." I did my best to remind myself of her exact words.

"Ugh. This is hopeless. Well, the point is, they are definitely together. We are all screwed basically. But on the bright side, 5 girls were sent home!"

"What?" I had a hard time keeping my jaw from hanging open in shock.

Morgan continued talking. "Yup, five less girls are here. They were all girls who got time to talk to Carter alone at the party. Only 30 people left. I doubt there will be elimination soon though. So yeah, I need to figure out what's going on. Clearly you aren't that much of a help." I ignored her unkind words and figured they were just a part of her personality. I could barely even believe what I had missed in such a short time.

"Well, thank you for keeping me updated. I'll let you know if I learn anything. And Morgan, could you tell me if anything else happens, please?"

"Sure. I gotta run."

And with that, she spun around and left. I could hardly believe that 5 girls were already gone. What if Charlotte was gone? I laid down and thought. At least I hadn't been sent home yet. My dad would have been so disappointed. And how had Georgia gotten a date? She hadn't even done anything special. What had I done wrong?

I hadn't gotten any time to talk to him alone, and I doubt he would even remember my name. I had so much to think about, so I decided to have dinner in my room. I asked my maids to tell me who was sent home, and they reported back to me. I didn't know the names of any of the girls who had left, so I guess the elimination wasn't bad in my perspective. It meant less people to compete with for attention.

I ate my dinner, read a book for a while but I started sensing my own fatigue. Lost in my thoughts, I decided I might as well go to bed, as it was getting late. I laid in bed for quite a long time, but I couldn't fall asleep, I tried staying still for as long as possible. When I was younger and when I couldn't fall asleep, my dad would tell me that if I stayed still for 15 minutes strait, I would fall asleep. Somehow tonight that tactic didn't work, and it only made me miss my family.

I decided that because I couldn't sleep, I needed to get some fresh air. I took off my uncomfortable nightgown and put on my clothes that I brought from home. At this hour nobody would see me anyways, and I wanted to feel normal again. I put on some sneakers, let my hair down and I walked down the halls. It was very dark and there was almost no noise in the palace with the exception of a couple maids running around. I tried to find the exit, but there wasn't enough light for me to try to figure out where I was.

As I walked I only grew sadder and sadder. I knew my brothers would definitely be able to find their way through this maze, but I definitely couldn't. I really wanted to see my family, but I wouldn't see them for a long long time, unless I got sent home; and I didn't want that to happen.

Somehow I ended up near the women's room, so I decided that I might as well just go there. I entered that dark room, and didn't bother to turn on the lights. There was just enough moonlight coming through the windows so that I could see where I was going. I went towards the couch on the right side of the room.

As my eyes lids were falling, the door of the women's room swung open and in walked another girl. She didn't turn on the lights so I couldn't tell whom she was. I stayed still and didn't make any noise. I heard a sniffle and realized that she was crying. I watched her as she walked across the room, and I might have maid a slight movement, for she stopped all of a sudden and looked my way.

"Hello?" I recognized that voice immediately. It was Princess Sierra.

I got up and curtsied from in front of my couch. "Your Highness. I'm so sorry for frightening you. It's just me."

"Oh, it's one of the Selected. I didn't realize you were in here."

"I'm so sorry, I can leave if you would like." I didn't want to make her any more upset than she already was. I walked a little closer and prepared to walk back to my room.

"No, don't worry, you can stay. I keep forgetting that you guys are in the palace as well. I usually come here to be alone, but now you guys are here to keep me company. I double edged sword I suppose. It's just one person, right?"

"Yes, it's just me." I walked over to her and noticed a tear falling down her cheek. "I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"No, not at all. Don't feel bad. This room is yours as much as mine at this point, and I could use some company. What's your name?"

"I'm Hope. " I walked into a patch of light so that she could see me.

She eyed me up and down. "Hope, what kind of outfit is that?"

"Oh! I'm not supposed to wear this. It's just sweatpants and a tee shirt. I brought it from home."

Princess Sierra chuckled and came over to me. She dried her cheek and smiled. "Come on, less go sit. Your clothes look so comfortable. Maybe I'll ask my maids to get me some sweatpants. I can't always be a perfect princess." We both started laughing quietly. We sat down in a couple of comfortable chairs.

"Is it hard being a princess? I can't even imagine what it would be like."

"Very. It's a lot of work, and even though I get to have a great wardrobe it's tiring and stressful if I'm going to be honest. And it's lonely. I only have my brothers to keep me company, and they aren't great help. Carter's always with mom learning how to run the country, and Noah is always running around doing something entertaining."

"Wow, it must be hard. I understand what you mean. I have three brothers. I love them to death, but they are such a pain." We both laughed once again. "If you would like, your Highness, I have an extra pair of sweatpants that you could wear."

She looked at me in such a thankful way, as if she was the one looking up to me. It was quite ironic because I was the ordinary girl, and she was the Princess of the country.

"Really? You would do that for me? You know, you don't have to do that for me just because I'm the princess of Ilea." I laughed quietly and she was so confused.

"Sure. I would be happy to let you borrow them!" I smiled. "I'll go run and grab them right now Your Highness." She nodded happily and I ran out of the women's room and went to go grab my extra outfit. I came sprinting back with the extra clothes and burst into the women's room breathing heavily, and I handed the outfit to her all folded up.

"Wow. Thank you. I'll try it on right now. I'll just change here. We're both girls and anyways, it's dark in here."

I laughed. "I'm sure they'll look great on you Princess Sierra!"

"You can just call me Sierra. Someone who lends me their pants is definitely a friend." Sierra put on the pants, and they fit perfectly. She looked so happy, yet she didn't look like a princess at all. She looked like just another girl, but with hair like fire shimmering in the night sky. She modeled them for me by walking towards me, turning, and walking back. "This is the most comfortable outfit I have ever worn in my entire life. Wow. "

"I know, right! And you pull off the look, too! I don't know how you wear dresses all the time. I would die without sweatpants to wear!" I was happy to finally have a friend that I could truly talk to, even if she was the Princess of Ilea. I was truly surprised about how nice and friendly she was in person. We both chuckled.

She laughed. "Well, it's been great talking to you, but it's getting pretty late. You should really get some sleep."

"Yeah, bye Sierra! See you around, maybe next time not this early in the morning…" She smiled at me and I gave her a quick curtsy and I went back to my room. When I got there I put down my blanket, and threw myself onto the bed. I pulled up the covers and fell right asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hope POV:**

The next morning I woke up, and even though I wasn't able to talk to the prince very much, I was still happy because I made a new friend. It just so happened that she was a Princess.

I happily woke up and my maids helped me get out of bed, and they gave me a bath. The warm water was very soothing, and relaxing. Afterwards, one of my maids did my nails and the other rubbed smooth lotion into my skin. They did the top layer of my hair into braids and that circled my head, and the lower layers of my hair were left down. This was the first time we were having a meal with the royal family, so I wanted to look nice. After my makeup was done, my maids choose a navy dress for me. The top was lace and fitted nicely to the top of my hips, and then it flowed down to just above my knees. It truly was gorgeous.

"Miss, trust us; most of the girls will be wearing light colors because it's a sunny day, and they want to be seen as happy. You will definitely stand out, and that's what we want."

"Okay! Thank you so much, girls, it means a lot." I gave each one a quick hug, and headed out to the Great Hall. When I entered, I realized that my maids were right. Even Sierra was wearing a pure white dress. I was one of the last girls to arrive, because when I got there, the royal family was already there talking with each other. I noticed that Charlotte wasn't there yet, so I decided to try and see what I could figure out about Georgia and her date.

I walked part Sierra and Noah, and when I looked over at Sierra, she gave me a little wink. I smiled at her and made my way towards Morgan who was already talking with some other people.

"Hey Morgan, anything new?" I boldly asked.

"Yeah. We got the whole scoop from Georgia. Turns out that when they were talking at the tea party, he liked her idea of a first date, so he invited her to help him plan a party for everyone. She refused to tell us anything else, but anyways it doesn't sound glamorous, so I'm not worried about her being competition at all. I'm just excited that we get to have another party."

"Me too; thanks Morgan, see you later." I turned around and went to join a group of girls who I had talked to the first night that I had been here. I joined the conversation with a couple brunettes and a redhead, Bella, Jade and Audrey. None of those girls had gotten alone time with the Prince either. After a quick chat about the girls who had already left, we all sat down for breakfast and ate the delicious food.

 **Charlotte POV:**

I woke up in the morning with a bright smile and a good attitude. I was in this gorgeous palace with gorgeous girls and other amazing people. While my family was back home, and while I had to be away from them, I had to be thankful for what I had. I let my maids prepare me for the day, and put on a bright sundress that was white and had a nice full skirt. It had a little bright sun shapes in yellow throughout the soft white material. As my maids were doing my hair, I heard a knock on my door, so I immediately went to go see who it was.

I opened the door and I saw a short little red-haired boy. It was Noah, the seven-year-old prince.

"Your Highness, to what do I owe this pleasure?" I curtsied for him, and we both laughed.

After that, he questioned me, and we had a great conversation. He was just about the cutest little boy that I had ever seen. He truly reminded me of my younger siblings. After a little bit, he left. I bet he was doing some spying for Carter, just so that Carter could get a better sense of each of the girls before he made too many connections. But seeing Noah, and being able to talk to him really reminded me of my family. He acted just like my younger siblings and really made me miss them. I couldn't stand being away from them, I missed them too much.

After my conversation with Prince Noah, I just couldn't bear to see any of the other girls, so I decided to have breakfast delivered to my room, and I figured I would be able to feel better that way.

During that time, I was able to put myself back together. I just had to take the time to realize how lucky I was. And anyways, in a few short months, at most, I would be able to see my family again! I started feeling better, and I decided that I should try and do something fun today.

Because Hope, my best friend at the palace, had said she loved singing, I decided that today would be the perfect day for us to sing together! Singing always made me feel happy, and what better a person to sing with than Hope? I always loved singing, and it's always loads more fun with other people to sing with as well. When we had talked before about singing, we both knew tons of new songs that are modern and that everyone knows, really. It would just be so much fun to be able to sing them together! I found a piece of paper, and wrote my note to Hope.

"Excuse me," I said to one of my maids. "Could you send this to Hope, by any chance?"

"Of course," she responded happily, and she went out to find Hope.

A couple hours later, Hope and I got found each other at lunch, and we made plans to get together afterwards in an available room with a piano in it. We asked a butler and figured out that there was a big room on the fourth floor that had a piano in it, along with great acoustics, so we decided to go there. We also decided that we should wear less fancy outfits, so we decided that we would both wear dresses with skirts that flirted out less, making them more casual. After lunch, I hurried back to my room to change into a light pink sundress, one of the most casual dresses that I had in my closet. I hurried back into the corridor and found Hope waiting for me outside my room.

"You ready, Charlotte?"

"I am! " I said excitedly, matching her tone of enthusiasm. "I absolutely adore your dress! It suits you perfectly." She was wearing an ivory dress that went down to right above her knees, and it made her look like a true goddess.

"You look fantastic yourself. Why are we so dressed up, anyway? Neither of us is the princess quite yet!" We both laughed as we made our way up the stairs. I really loved how we had just met; not too long ago, yet we were basically best friends. Also, I loved that we could joke around with each other; and Hope's humor made it nearly impossible for either of us not to laugh at least every five minutes. Hope continued talking to me, "So, what do you think of the prince?"

"Oh! Well, he is completely handsome. But, I haven't really been able to get to know him. I want to know what he's really like when he's not in front of a million cameras. Like the saying goes: 'You can't judge a book by its cover'. But if it were just about the cover, I'd be sold."

"I totally get what you mean. I don't want to fall in love if I don't really know him. That's pointless. I just hope he gives us the chance to get to know each other before he sends us home. He was a bit quick to send the first five girls home, don't you think?"

"Yeah, that really makes me nervous," I admitted. "I don't want to go home before I've even had the chance to prove myself!"

"Me either. But I think we should just be ourselves, and if the prince likes us, then that's fabulous, but if he doesn't, then it's all right anyway. I just don't want to pass as someone I'm not. And, if I don't get a chance to get to know the Prince, well then I guess it was meant to be, and we just weren't meant to be together, and I'll be okay with it."

"Well said, Hope! Agreed."

We arrived at the fourth floor and we entered the room. It was huge, and it was completely gorgeous. The walls were covered with small little shapes, and the ceiling was painted into beautiful patterns with small paintings incorporated into it. And, the grand piano was sitting right in the middle, just waiting for it to be played. Hope and I both looked around the room, and then we looked at each other. Like we had telepathic messaging in our brains, we both walked over to the piano.

"Do you play?" I asked Hope happily.

"Nope. Not a single note. It's all yours. Do you know any songs that we could sing to?"

I immediately open the cover of the piano, revealing all the keys, and the placed my hands upon them. I started playing the notes of a song that I was sure Hope would know. It was a classic, everyone knew it. Plus, it was a beautiful song to play and to sing to. As I played the first few measures, I heard Hope whisper a soft 'Whoa' as she watched in awe. When she realized that she should probably sing to the piece, she looked around, raised her head, opened her mouth, and started singing the lyrics, coming in right on cue. Her voice was absolutely stunning. I would have never imagined that she could have done that just by looking at her. Her voice was angelic, and it completely complimented her white outfit. As she sang, I decided I should probably sing too, so I started singing the lyrics, adding in a couple harmonies here and there. It actually sounded amazing. Our two voices complimented each other, and we sounded like we had been singing together for years. Then, we asked a maid to get us a radio so that we could sing with background music.

"Omg, Charlotte. We should do like a musical!"

"Yessssss! That's a great idea!"

Then, we decided that we should play songs that we all knew. When the radio arrived, we played songs to different musicals and came up with dances to them. We came up with an entire jazz routine, and we had it choreographed perfectly.

Afterwards we got some refreshments, and while we drank our tea, I clicked the radio back on, to a modern music channel. Then, we heard a more modern popular song play. I looked at Charlotte, who gave me a huge smile, and we both put our tea down and got up to sing. I loved how we could basically send each other telepathic messages just based off of our expressions.

We both immediately started singing to the music. I'm pretty sure it was the most lyrical and gorgeous version of that rap song that anyone has ever heard. We both sang some harmonies and variations to the song as we went.

I went for it and really sung my heart out, and so did Hope. It was so much fun. It was super amazing. After the song ended we burst out laughing, and then we played it again. So what if we didn't sound like princesses, we were having too much fun to stop.

We sang the chorus again to the music, but once we reached the climax of the song, we heard a noise at the door.

I immediately stopped the music, and we both spun around, facing the grand doors that were closed. I was scared out of my mind. We could be in so much trouble.

Then, the doors burst open, as someone finished the verse, with perfect pitch, and in a low key that neither of us could reach.

That someone was the Prince, himself. My jaw dropped as he walked into the room with a huge smile on his face. His smile and happiness comforted me, but I was still so nervous.

Prince Carter bowed to us, and then started speaking.

"Good afternoon, ladies. I'm so sorry for bursting into your jamming session like that, but I couldn't help it, it's by far the best part of the song."

Hope and I giggled nervously, as we curtsied to him. He certainly had a sense of humor. I was regretting how I didn't wear a nicer outfit, or at least something a bit more fancy. I definitely would have if I had known that I would be seeing the Prince. But Hope was stunning, and so she made up for my lack of properness. I snapped out of my gaze, and I decided to speak.

"Hi! It's a pleasure, Your Highness! Would you want to sing with us?"

We all ended up having a blast together. Carter has perfect pitch, and his voice is perfect; yet another quality to add to his ever growing list of perfections. His singing voice must have come from his mother. His whole family loved music; at least, that's what I learned from all my days of watching the Report. After we sung some trios, I decided I should set up Hope.

"I think both of your voices together would sound amazing! You should try a duet!" I winked at Hope as I spoke. Taking my advice, they sang the cutest and most romantic duet ever. I wish it could have been me; but I think Hope definitely deserved that one favor.

Too soon, the Prince said he had to leave.

"Thank you so much for the fun! I hope to see you guys at the pool party!" He gave us a mysterious look, and gave us each a huge, tender smile that made me want to melt, and then left.


	6. Chapter 6

**Carter POV:**

It was less than a week into the Selection, and I already felt overwhelmed. There were so many girls, and I didn't know what to do with them all. I had sent 5 home already. I made sure that they weren't going to be a good fit for me, and then I sent them home. I didn't want anyone to waste her time, and I tried to be as honest as possible.

At one point, I was walking on the fourth floor, and I heard two voices from inside the Great Hall. I couldn't resist entering, so I did. In the room I found two of the most gorgeous girls I had ever seen. One of them was wearing a pink dress, and she had bleach-blonde hair, and sky-blue eyes. She was Charlotte. The other girl was wearing a stunning ivory colored dress, and she had long blonde hair with many different colors in it, and she had bright green eyes that I couldn't seem to turn away from. I had a great time singing with both of them, but I was really nervous.

I decided that in order for the girls to see me as a normal guy, and for me to become less formal with the girls, we should set up a less formal setting. That led me to think of the best idea ever. We should have a pool party.

Well actually, it was one of the Selected that gave me the idea. During the first tea party, one of the girls, Georgia, had given me the idea. She seemed like such a fun person, so I asked her to help me plan the party. We ended up having a great time together, and we had planned the best party ever. Plus, what guy wouldn't want to have a pool party with 30 gorgeous girls? The bad part was that I had to send more of them home afterwards.

The ladies were told about the party yesterday, and I hope that they were excited as I was.

The morning of the pool party, I called Sierra into my room to help me work. I needed to figure out which girls should definitely stay, and which might be going home. Because Sierra knew the girls just as much as I did, I figured she would be a huge help. When she arrived into my room, she plopped herself down in a chair next to my desk.

"Come on Carter, let's get to work."

"Alright. So I printed out pictures of all of the remaining girls. I figured it would make it easier for us to match names to a face, that way we know who we're talking about at least."

"Good idea," said Sierra. "We can put the girls staying at the top, and the girls who we don't really know at the bottom, kind of like a pyramid. Give me those." She snatched the pictures from me and shuffled through them. She picked out a picture and laid it at the very top of the table. "She is definitely staying." It was Hope; she was one of the girls I had sung with the other day. She definitely seemed shy when I met her, and personally I didn't really see her as someone I would like.

"But Sierra, I don't know about her. She seems kind of like a superficial perfect blonde… Are you sure about it?"

"Definitely. Give her a chance. Anyways, you will have plenty of time to get to know everyone. You can't judge every girl just by how they act the first time you meet them."

I took the package of cards and fished out Charlotte's picture, along with Georgia, Audrey, Bella, and a couple other girls. By the end, we had selected 15 girls that could possibly go home. I was so thankful to have my sister to help me.

As soon as Sierra left my room, I almost had no time to rest, for another person opened the door to my room.

"Mom! Hi!" The Queen of the country had walked in.

"Good morning honey, how are you doing?"

"I'm good. Sierra was helping me sort through the Selected, figuring out who should stay who should go. It's a lot harder than I imagined."

"Yeah, I totally get it." She smiled at me. "You'll figure it out, don't worry."

"Thanks. But it couldn't have been that hard for you. Everyone says that right when your Selection started, they knew that you would marry Dad. "

"That's not exactly true…" She smiled mysteriously so herself. "But yes, I wanted to talk to you about the Selection. Some people are worried you aren't taking it that seriously. You've only been on one date, and it was to plan a pool party. Then, there's the fact that you are having a pool party… " She sighed.

"Ugh. Fine. I'll do my best to make things more formal. I just want to get to know the girls. But I guess I could go on actual dates if you really need me to."

"Thank you honey. Also, just some advice: Use your younger siblings wisely. Their advice will be valuable."

I immediately started thinking about Sierra, and how she wanted Hope to stay. Maybe she could be right.

"I definitely will."

The pool party came quickly, and before I knew it, I was getting myself ready. I put on my swim trunks, and headed outside. I knew all the girls were already there, I could hear them all talking. All of a sudden, Silvia, started talking, welcoming all the ladies, and of course Sierra and Noah, who were also there. Then she announced me. "Now, ladies, let us welcome Prince Carter!"

On my cue, I went running out, and I did a huge cannonball into the fresh, icy clear water. When I came up to the air, the pool party had begun. Some of the girls immediately came into the water to swim with me, and we all had a great time.

After a little while, I got out of the water, got a towel, then went to start my business. I looked around for a little while, and found the girl who I was looking for.

"Georgia! How do you like the party we planned?"

The girl with dark-red hair turned around and immediately smiled happily. "Prince Carter! This pool party is amazing! Your entrance was spectacular. We all got soaked." I saw she was wearing a diamond headband in her hair, and she had a blue bikini on.

"That was the plan!" We both laughed. She was one of the girls I felt most comfortable around. She was like me; she liked to have fun, and she was generally a really fun person, too. We continued talking for a while, but I had to keep talking to other girls, so I soon had to leave. I needed to get the hard part of today over with so that I could enjoy my pool party.

I took off my towel and I went to talk to 10 of the girls that I didn't think I had a chance with, and I sent them home. I felt awful breaking their hearts, but I didn't want to keep them here if I knew that we wouldn't work out together; I didn't want to waste their time.

Afterwards, I went back to the pool. I walked on the edge of the swimming pool, as I made my way to the diving board. Near the deep end, I heard someone let out a little yelp, and I saw a blonde-haired girl falling right in front of me. Instantly, I put out my arms, and caught her right before she landing in the pool. I looked down at the girl I had just 'saved', and I saw a slim, green-eyed girl staring back at me. I could see her jaw-line perfectly from the angle with which I was looking at her. With one look into her eyes, I almost froze, but I snapped out of the daze: "Hope!"

"Oh my gosh. Your Highness, thank you for catching me!" I put her back upright, and luckily she was still intact.

"No problem at all. Were you planning on swimming? She was in her bikini, and I noticed that her hair was still dry. She have me a nod, so I picked her up again, and threw her into the water.

When she came up she was laughing like crazy. I pushed a couple other girls into the water then I joined them.

The next morning was the first Report for the Selected. Gavril would interview each of the remaining ladies, all 25 of them. Then, I would have to start going on dates. Yikes.

I was already planning on who would go, and what we would do. I definitely wanted to spend time with Georgia. She always made me feel more relaxed, and I knew it wouldn't be awkward. I also wanted to see Charlotte. She seems like a great girl and I really want to get to know her. Morgan was also a pick of mine because she seemed different from all the others girls, and I wanted to know what she was all about.

I was thinking of having a sort of 'group date' where I could see a group of the girls. Some of the girls that really stood out to me like Audrey, Jade, and Ashley seemed like good choices for the group date. Even though it was hard, it was something I would have to do, because I needed to find my wife.

 **Hope POV:**

Two weeks past in the Selection and seemed like I was the only girl who hadn't really seen the prince. Many of the girls, like Charlotte, had gotten to go on one or multiple dates alone with him. Others had gotten to go on group dates. I had been invited to one of the group dates, but it seemed like Carter had barely noticed me. Over this time, the number of girls had gotten a lot smaller. We were already down to 15. Ten more girls had already gone. I don't know how I managed to stay in the competition. I was glad that I was here though; the Prince seemed like a good person, and I wanted to get to know him. I'd heard about him from the other girls, but I didn't get to experience him for myself.

I spent most of my days in my room or in the women's room chatting with the other girls, helping people around the house or in the library reading. They always updated the magazine supply for us every week. It seemed like all the magazines could talk about was the Selection. There were articles upon articles, and graphs about each of the girls. There was a picture with the standings of the girls explaining who the public thought would win. I was always in the middle of the herd. Luckily, I was one of the people's favorites. There were many articles about me, and there were always tons of pictures of my newest dresses.

People seemed just to like me based off of what I looked like, and what I said on the Report. Honestly, I was honored, flattered and humbled that they thought that way of me. If only the prince thought that way.

While I was the people's favorite, the Prince definitely had some favorites as well. He had spent the most time with Jade, a very outgoing brunette that had eyes that matched her name; Georgia, who had been a favorite from the beginning; and Charlotte.

I was so happy for Charlotte, she is such a nice person and it is practically impossible for a person not to like her. Plus as a benefit, she tells me all about her dates and about the Prince. I practically know him inside and out based off of her stories. She told me everything, and to my disappointment, he had even kissed her once during their last date.

I was extremely happy for her, but I was disappointed that their relationship was already to that point when mine basically hadn't even started.

But, I had Sierra as an amazing friend. We always spent time together and I helped her design outfits for different events. One day, I brought all my favorite outfits to her room and we tried on each other's clothes. We modeled every one of our outfits in front of a mirror, and we both had an amazing time.

In order to keep myself busy, I also occasionally went down to the kitchens to see what was happening. There, I always asked the staff if they wanted any help. Even though they always said no, I managed to find something to do in order to make myself be handy, whether it was drying dishes or stirring food that was being prepared for the next meal. I always loved talking to the people there and listening to their stories, and I sensed that they liked having me there as well. I felt natural working in the kitchen, considering back at home I was the only girl living with the 4 other guys in my family.

I had gotten a letter from my family a couple weeks ago, but I was saving it for a special occasion. I wanted to read it when the moment was right. After more girls were selected to go on a group date, I decided that I needed all the hope and luck that I could get.

I retired to my room and open the letter from my family.

 _Dear Hope,_

 _We miss you like crazy back at home. The boys mostly miss you because with you gone, they have to cook dinner and do all the dishes. I also make them clean daily, which they are more than enthusiastic about._ _J_ _We miss our ray of hope in the family; things aren't the same with you gone. I hope you are doing well at the Palace. Definitely take advantage of everything they have there! The food, the rooms, and I even heard that they have a state of the art training room with an Olympic size track and an endless supply of machines. Try to figure out where that is. I think doing something athletic would definitely help you keep the stress away, and it would be fun. Will decided that next time we see you, we'll definitely have a race. Whoever wins gets eternal bragging rights. You better start training because I know no Millington is going to win a race easily, even if she is a princess._

 _Some advice for the Selection: Be yourself, and be proud of it. If you want the Prince to like you, he'll have to like you for you._

 _The first time I saw your mother, it was her beauty and her pride that caught my attention. Use your charm to get what you deserve._

Tears started coming to my eyes. Whenever my dad talked about my mom, he always said every word with such respect and devotion, and I could imagine him speaking to me as I read.

 _We always look forward to seeing you on the Report every Friday. You look like such a young lady, just like your mother. James didn't even recognize you the first time he saw you. Hope, we love you,_

 _Do your best and God will do the rest,_

 _Love, Dad, Andy, Will, and James_

The letter was so sweet and it made me miss my family ten times more than usual. But, the letter gave me exactly what I needed. My dad was right; I had heard rumors that there was a gym that guards trained in. The whole time I'd been here, all I really wanted to do was change out of my fancy sandals, and go run, jump, or do something athletic. After growing up with 4 brothers, it had been impossible for me to not like sports. I wanted to check out this gym, but if I went, I would need to be secretive about it, nobody could know.


	7. Chapter 7

When I went to bed that night, I set my alarm so that I would wake up at midnight. I laid out a pair of leggings and a tank top that I managed to fish out of my closet. I didn't know how they had ended up in my closet, but I would definitely take advantage of them.

I woke up to the buzzing of my alarm. I slammed the mute button and hoped out of bed. I threw on my tank top and slid on the leggings over my long legs. I figured out that they were way to big for me, so I decided to wear a pair of shorts that were made for sleeping in. They were very baggy and went down to my fingertips, but they could easily pass as a pair of basketball shorts. I then wrote a note to my maids asking for a pair of proper running shorts, ones that actually fit.

Once done with my note, I opened the door to my room and stepped out. I found the person I was looking for right away.

"Excuse me sir?" I looked up towards the guard standing right outside my door. "I have a bit of an unusual request."

"Yes my lady, what may I do for you?" he replied, eying my outfit suspiciously.

"I was wondering if I might be able to use the training facility that the guards use? I heard about it when I was younger, and it has been my dream ever since to use it. Please, sir? I won't tell a soul. I really miss my family and I think running would make me feel better." I shed a fake tear and gave him my best pleading look, a sort of puppy dog look.

"I suspect that you have good intentions, so I can bring you. If anyone asks or if you get caught, you must deal with the consequences, alright, My Lady?"

"Yes, sir, Officer Kennedy! And you can just call me Hope. This is such a huge favor, a owe you one!" I smiled at him as he led me down a staircase and to a new part of the palace, one that I had not yet seen. He looked at me like I was crazy for letting him call me by my real name, but I figured he probably already had pegged me as one of the crazy girls.

After a short walk, he led me to a door and said: "This is it. Use everything at your own risk, Lady Hope."

"Thank you sir! I would curtsy, but I don't have a skirt…" He chuckled as he opened the door for me.

I walked into the giant room and saw a huge racetrack with painted lines, and a large portion of the room was devoted to strengthening machinery. It was the most fabulous exercise room I had ever seen. I gasped at the sight as a new guard walked up behind me. To my surprise, there were already many guards in the room, though they were all out of uniform; either wearing a small tank top or no shirt at all. Because I grew up in a household of boys, I was used to it, so it didn't faze me at all.

"Lady Hope" said a guard with a tank top on, bowing in front of me with a smile. "Judging by your outfit, I take it you didn't get lost and you intended to end up here?"

"Yes sir! I love running, and I was told that this was the place to go! What's your name?"

"Officer Jackson Peters, my lady, but you can just call me Jack. It's very surprising to see a lady down here. Normally it's just us guards."

"Well, there's a first for everything!"

Jack chuckled, "Very true. You said you were going running, would you mind if I ran with you?"

"Not at all! I'm always happy to have company. Thank you"

"My pleasure, Lady Hope." We headed for the racetrack, took our places, and begun running. As we past different sections of the room, guards kept giving me weird looks, looking at me as if I was crazy.

"Wow. I take it you guys don't get many girls running in here."

"Almost never. I still can't believe it myself."

"Well, I'm not a Princess whatsoever. I'm the least feminine girl you will ever meet you all can just consider me one of the guys," I claimed as we both laughed.

"My Lady, in that case you are the prettiest guy I ever saw," said Jack, wiggling his eyebrows. I immediately start laughing and have to stop running because of laughter. The face he made was absolutely hilarious.

"Ahahahaha, you can just call me Hope. Saying 'Lady' and all that nonsense is a waste of time. Could we get some water?"

"Sure, I can introduce you to some friends." We walked over to the water dispenser where we both got ourselves a glass of water, then we went to join a small group of guys that re resting.

Jack called out to them: "Guys! We have a visitor. This is Lady Hope."

They all turned and bowed to me. "You guys can just call me Hope though! What are you all doing here so late?"

One of the more fit ones replied with a smile: "Well, it's part of the job. What would you be doing here this late yourself?"

"Okay, good reasoning. " We all talked for a bit, and I deemed them to be very nice people.

"Jack! I think that we should have a competition. Whoever does the most sit-ups gets eternal bragging rights."

"I'm totally in for a challenge. You guys want to join in?" He nodded to the other guys who immediately nodded their heads happily.

We walked over to the mats and took our spots. We all started and began counting. After 50, Jack gave out.

"I can't do this anymore!" He exclaimed. "You guys are all crazy." We all laughed at him and he lied helplessly on the ground.

We all continued doing out sit-ups as two other people dropped out. Then, it was just me and one other guy. He was still going strong with his sit-ups but I was silently dying.

"How am I supposed to beat him? He's totally ripped! Agh! I give up." I flopped onto the ground as my last competitor, Matt, victoriously jumped up and reached a hand out to help me up as he laughed. I then decided to go back to bed because I was completely exhausted from all my hard work.

The next day I slept in late, and I went through my daily routine. Before lunch I talked with a few of the girls about the recent news; the Prince had invited both Charlotte and Jade for dates that day. But, I didn't mind because I had found something the other girls hadn't, the gym.

My maids had very generously made me real shorts that I could wear. They were tight and short, just like the spandex shorts that volleyball players wore, except they were much more comfortable. I put on my new shorts, happy to get out of my usual dresses, and put on a new tank top. I braided my hair into two French braids to make me look exactly like the professional volleyball players. I walked out of my room, thanked the guard who was there, and proceeded to the exercise room. As I entered, I immediately found James, and went over to him.

"Jack!"

"My- Hope!" I laughed as he eyed me. "Dude, you really should being wearing clothes that tight. Honestly, at least something baggier. You are going to be like honey attracting bees down here." We both chuckled and I gave him a friendly punch on the shoulder.

"So I was wondering if you and some of the guys wanted to have a volleyball game? We could probably find a net somewhere around here."

"Yeah, of course, that sounds awesome! I'll round up the guys, you and Matt can round up a ball and the other stuff we need for the game! He's over that way."

I nodded and walked over to Matt. He greeted me happily, and I told him about my plan. He agreed to it and we went to the storage room and found everything we needed. He got some other guards to set it up, and we went to go find volleyball.

"There's probably one upstairs in the room that Prince Noah uses to play. Considering he loves sports, he's bound to have one, let's go."

We walked upstairs and somehow ended up in a room with an endless amount of toys and sports balls. I walked over to one of the bins and fished out volleyball. "I got it! Let's go!"

As we were walking back, we heard the clicking of shoes in another hallway. I wondered who was up this late at night.

Then the person rounded the corner and we all stopped dead in our tracks.

"Your Highness! "I said in a nervous voice. I did a weird curtsy in my volleyball outfit and Matt bowed deeply.

"Officer, Lady Hope. Always a pleasure. What would you both be doing at this hour, and in that attire?" He sounded so confused, and was eyeing us up and down. We were both in tank tops, and I bet we looked very suspicious.

"I'm so sorry, Your Highness, we were going to have a volleyball game." I held up the volleyball for him, and he looked at it skeptically.

"Well that would explain a lot. Would you mind if I joined?"

"Of course, Your Highness! It's being held in the training room downstairs," said Matt.

"I'll meet you guys there," he said. He walked away, smiling. Once he was gone, I looked at Matt and he was laughing.

"I definitely wasn't expecting that… I can't imagine you were either."

"Good lord, not at all." We both laughed again and continued on our way.

When we got back to the training room, everything had been set up, and a rather big group of guards was waiting for us. They all bowed as I walked up, and I heard a clutter of 'my ladies' that were said.

"Oh please, just Hope," I said laughing. I found James and we discussed how we would make the teams. Then, Prince Carter appeared in the doorway, dressed in long shorts and a cotton shirt instead of his usual suits and fancy attire. The sight of him almost made me want to laugh, but I contained it. He walked up, and all the guards bowed once again. Then I decided that we should start.

"Alright! We should make teams. We could do a schoolyard pick. I think the Prince should be a captain, and I could be the other. " I heard a murmur of agreement from the guards, so I continued. "Your Highness, come?" He came willingly. "You can chose first if you would like."

He agreed and immediately chose one of the more fit looking guys. Then, I chose Jack. He chose another guard, and I chose Matt. We kept choosing until we both six people on each of our teams. We each took our places on either side of the net, and we commenced the game. I served first, a perfect overhand right to the Prince, who bumped it back up perfectly over the net. Then, James set the ball upwards, and I ran up, jumped, and spiked the volleyball down to the ground on the other side of the court. Victoriously, I turned and gave Jack a huge high five. The game continued, and everyone was surprisingly good, even the Prince. I hadn't thought of him as the athletic type, but I guess he was. The me, Matt and James trio was unstoppable. Play after play, we would crush the opposing team.

When we finally won both of the sets, the game ended, and I gave all my teammates giant hugs and went to go find the Prince.

"Prince Carter! Thank you so much for joining the game. I would have never thought you to be the volleyball type."

"I could say the same about you, my lady. Next time I'll have to up my game." Next time? There would be a next time? I was a little confused, but happy all the same. He was very friendly as he continued talking. "Thank you for the company, I have to go, I'll see you tomorrow, my-"

"Hope. Just Hope." I interjected. The Prince smiled, nodded and left. I walked back over to the group of boys, and Jack gave me his wiggly eyebrow look.

"Hope and Carter sitting in a tree-" He started chanting until I gave him a punch in the arm.

"Oh hush. He doesn't even like me. He'll end up marrying Charlotte or Audrey, and I'll be left with the helpless lot of you all." I complained to him while laughing.

"Well that wouldn't be that bad for you. You have all of us wrapped around your finger." Then he said more seriously. "Hope, you can't seriously be falling behind in the Selection…" I gave him a desperate look, and he understood immediately. "God. Hope! I have no idea what you are doing wrong, but it's obviously something. You're by far the prettiest girl here. Give any guy just one look and they'll be at your every command. Plus, you're the only one who is actually nice. All the others treat the guards like furniture."

I put my head in my hands. "I don't know what to do. The Prince never talks to me. Like ever. If he doesn't even want to talk to me, there's nothing I can do. The only reason I'm here is because I'm Sierra's favorite."

"Well, don't give up yet, Little Miss Competitiveness." James was definitely one of my best friends at the palace, mostly because he wasn't competing with me for a guy. I was so thankful for the guards who had been so nice to me.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hope POV:**

The next night, I woke up at the normal time, put on a pair of my new, tight shorts and a red tank top, and I tied my hair into a ponytail. I headed down to the training room and found the Prince talking to some guards. I was surprised to see him again. This time he was wearing long shorts and a royal blue, short sleeve shirt. I could see his strong arms and some of his impressively strong torso.

I went to put on my running shoes and as I was putting them on, the prince appeared in front of me.

"Hey. I was wondering if you wanted to run with me?" he asked shyly.

I smiled back up at him, "I'm always happy to have some company," I replied.

I finished putting on my shoes and we headed to the track. We started jogging and talking.

"Do you normally decide to exercise this early in the morning, Prince Carter?"

"Just Carter. Sometimes; it really helps me take my mind off of things."

"Things like running a country, finding a wife and such?" I asked, smiling as he chuckled.

"Pretty much. Things like that come up when you're a prince, you know," he said with another laugh. "So what's your family like?"

"Well, I have 3 brothers. That's why I like sports. It's hard being an only daughter. I bet your sister can relate. But I can't imagine having my parents be the King and Queen of the country."

"It's not as bad as it sounds. To you, my mom is the Queen; to me, she's just my mother. What's it like having a more normal mother?"

I looked down at my feet as I remembered my mother. I sighed and started speaking. "My mom died when I was younger. So I really don't know." I sniffled my nose as my eyes teared up a bit.

"Hope, I'm so sorry. I-" He touched my shoulder as we ran, and he gave me a sympathetic smile. The worried look on his face and the look on his eyes were enough to make me want to melt. I wiped my eyes and replied with a small smile.

"It's okay, don't worry about it."

"Wow. So you grew up with 4 guys in your house. That's impressive."

I laughed at him just as we ran past Jack and Matt, who each in turn winked at me as we ran.

The next morning I got up happily, thinking about the amazing time with the Prince. I put on my white dress and went down for breakfast.

At the table, I occasionally caught Carter watching me as I talked with the other girls. I had begun to grow very close to most of the Selected that remained. They were for the most part incredibly sweet. That morning 5 more girls had been sent home, and we were down to 15.

After breakfast, as I was leaving, Carter called to me. I turned to him as the others finished leaving the room, leaving us alone together.

"Hope! I was wondering if you wanted to go on a horseback ride?" He asked.

"Of course, I would love that. When?"

I could see his eyes sparkle with happiness. "Now? We can meet back here in 15 minutes if you wanted to change outfits." We agreed upon that, and I skipped through the hallways and to my room.

My maids helped me change into a more casual white dress and some boots instead of my normal sandals. They undid my hair and left it down, only adding some pins so that it wouldn't fall directly into my face. They always knew exactly what I wanted. This hairstyle allowed my hair to fly free in the wind. Then I went back to the dining room to find the Prince.

He was waiting for me where I had left him. He gave me his arm, which I took happily as we exited the room.

When we rounded a corner and started into another corridor, I heard a loud voice from behind me.

"Oh! Hope!" We stopped and I turned to see the person with the familiar voice. Magdalena, one of the cooks I often worked with, started running towards me with excitement. "Hope! I've been looking for you everywhere." The short and round lady was bursting with happiness. "He's finally arrived! My Johnny is back from New Asia, and he's safe and sound! I want you to meet him!"

I squealed bent down to give her a huge hug, and matching her excitement I said: "Oh Maggie! That's great!" Then, she noticed Carter standing next to me. She bent down and curtsied with embarrassment.

"Your Majesty, I'm so sorry."

"Do not worry, Miss Maggie," he said looking confused as ever while looking from me to Maggie and back. "I'm very happy for you and your son." He gave her a genuine smile.

Maggie looked at the both of us apologetically. "You Majesty, take care of this girl. She's the sweetest person I've ever met, and she most definitely lives up to her name." She winked at me and left us.

I laughed at Carter's confused face, which only made him more confused. We continued to the stable as he talked about the weather and such. When we arrived, two horses had been tied to the mounting dock. There was a black stallion for Carter, and a palomino mare for me. I walked up to my mare and pat her nose and kissed her on the white stripe that passed in between her eyes.

"Do you need help mounting?" said Carter, still confused as ever. As he spoke, I put my foot into the left stirrup and swung my body onto the saddle. "Ah. Of course." He said, looking at me in awe. Clearly he didn't expect me to know anything about horses, yet I secretly always loved horses; they were my favorite animal. He untied our horses and mounted his stallion. We both walked on our horses to the trail that led us into the forest.

"Carter. Saying that you look a little confused seems like it would be a complete understatement…" He chuckled as we continued on the path with our horses walking side by side.

"Well, yes. That's completely true."

"You deserve a explanation, your royalness. What would you like me to explain?" I asked as he smiled.

"Maggie?"

"Well, she's a cook in the kitchens. Sometimes I go down and help with whatever needs to be done. I usually work with her, and she's very friendly." Carter nodded understandingly.

"She does seem to love you. What about the guards? You seem to spend a whole lot of time with shirtless guards in the training room." He raised his eyebrow as he spoke, making me laugh.

"Sometimes it's nice to talk to people who aren't trying to get you sent home. All the girls are amazing and super sweet, but I know deep down they hate everyone else. And it's normal for me to be around guys all the time, having three brothers and all. They're just my friends."

We talked about other things like life at the palace for a little while longer, and then we headed back to the stable, racing each other there.

We both galloped, pretty much at an equal pace, until the very end where I pulled ahead, leaning forward to make my beautiful horse run faster. At the stable, a guard immediately told Carter that his father wanted to see him.

He looked back at me, giving me an apologetic look, and left.

 **Jade POV:**

The group of girls was getting smaller and smaller. I knew what I had signed up for by entering the Selection, so I expected nothing less. I just didn't expect the Prince to be so charming, and such an amazing person. He was a Prince, but he was a real person too. He had all the qualities of a perfect husband, and I was so happy that he had taken the time to get to know me.

While I was sitting in the women's room, talking with Bella, Ashley and Rebecca, a maid delivered a not to us. The note read 'Dear Jade, Charlotte, Ashley, and Rebecca, Would you care to join me in the gardens for a picnic this afternoon?'

We all squealed as I read the note out loud. We were all so happy to have been invited on a date. Plus, all the girls who were invited were all my amazing friends, and they were all very sweet people. Ashley, Rebecca, and I squealed with excitement as Bella, who wasn't invited, smiled. I could see the disappointment in her eyes even though she was trying to hide it. But that was the competition; we were all fighting for time with the Prince.

We all headed to our rooms, and Bella went to go tell Charlotte about the picnic. It really seemed like Charlotte went on every group date, and hundreds more of dates with Carter alone. She definitely got to spend the most time with the Prince. But there wasn't anything I could do about it; all I could do was make the best of the time I got to have with Carter.

I then went out to the garden to find my future husband.

I found him standing in front of some flowers, just standing; thinking.

"Carter?" I asked, approaching him before the other girls came.

He turned around, smiling at the sight of me, and gave me a warm hug. "Jade! You came early."

"Thank you for inviting me, by the way. It means a lot," I said, looking up at him.

"Of course. I love spending time with amazing people like you. Thank you for coming."

"You know I'd do anything for you, silly." I answered, leaning in and kissing his lips softly. I stared into his eyes, and saw him look over my shoulder. The other girls were probably arriving. My heart sunk as I turned towards them and waved. "I hate having to share you.." I whispered quietly to Carter, who squeezed my hand gently in response and then went to greet the others.

 **Carter POV:**

It was almost over two months into the Selection, with 15 girls left when my parents told me that I needed make another cut. For some reason that my parents wouldn't tell me, they wanted me to narrow down the group of girls to the Elite.

I suspected that there were more uprisings from the rebels in the South, and speeding up the Selection would create more of a distraction.

I needed to send at least 5 girls home, but that would be hard considering I haven't gotten that much time to get to know them.

I decided to go over every girl that was still at the palace. I hated picking favorites, but I had to.

Charlotte. Charlotte was definitely staying. She was amazing. I loved her already. She was perfect in every way. She was kind, caring, and considerate. I felt like I was already ready to propose. She took my breath away from the moment I first saw her, and I felt like every time I saw her, I fell more and more in love. But I couldn't get to ahead of myself. While I already knew I loved Charlotte, the Selection was a process, and I needed to play by the rules. The problem was figuring out who else to keep and who to send home.

Georgia was going to stay. She was full of fun and I seemed to always feel more relaxed around her. She always made everything a joke, a great quality.

Audrey was also very sweet. She knew how to make me laugh and she made the best of every situation.

Bella was one of the kind ones. It took me a while to realize who she really was. She was shy but she is incredibly smart. Once I spent time with her, I realized that she was very caring, and her intelligence is like her secret weapon.

Jade was smart and she is proud. She isn't ashamed of herself and she speaks her mind. She also is very pretty with her long chestnut hair and her green eyes that match her name. She is beautiful. I hadn't spent a lot of time with her, but I knew she should stay.

Morgan was also very proud. She draws attention to herself and likes to have people working for her. She acts like she's Queen already. She wasn't afraid of me, and our chemistry was undeniable.

Natalia was very talkative. She has a light accent, but it doesn't stop her from knowing everything about everyone. I liked how she could read people easily and she could talk to anyone, no matter who they were.

Then there was Hope, who I hadn't really gotten to know. She seemed nice, but there was something about her that I couldn't quite grasp. To me, she seemed like a gorgeous blonde, nothing more. But, as I was getting to know her, I realized that my first impression might not have been right.

Ashley, Rebecca, Jacqueline and Amanda were very sweet, but they seemed too proper for me. Then, Angelica and two other ladies, very pretty girls, just seemed to be competing for the crown and not for me.

I decided that Georgia, Charlotte, Morgan, Bella, Jade, Audrey, Hope and Natalia were definitely going to stay. They were the girls that I thought I would actually have a chance with, but it meant that 7 ladies would have to go home.

I had found my Elite.

Once I had sent the girls home, I felt awful. But it was something I had to do; it was part of the Selection. And by the end, I would have to send all but one home.

As I was walking back to the office to continue my work, I heard a sniffling noise from a nearby hallway. I stopped dead in my tracks and went to go find the source of the noise. I realized that it was actually someone crying.

I picked up the pace and turned a corner to find Charlotte, sitting on the floor against the wall, curled into a ball, and crying into her dress. I ran up to her.

"Charlotte?" I asked her. "Charlotte, what's wrong?" I crouched down next to her, and touched her shoulder. She looked up at me, with blotchy eyes and makeup running down her face. What if I had done something wrong? What if she wanted to leave the palace? I couldn't bear to think about it, I really liked her, she was kind, caring, and compassionate and it hurt me to see her cry. It felt like someone had stabbed me in the chest.

"Carter… I'm so sorry…" She said through her tears. She kept crying but managed to mumble out a few more words. "Get… please… I… hope.."

I connected the dots and ran to the nearest guard and said, "Sir, please get Lady Hope. Tell her to come as soon as she can. Tell her that Charlotte is crying. Please hurry." He gave a solemn nod and ran off.

I went back to Charlotte who was still crying and I did my best to comfort her.

Five minutes later, Hope rounded the corner of the hallway at full speed, running with her heels in her hand and wearing a day dress.

"Oh my God, Char…" she said, running up to us. She threw her shoes on the ground and knelt to her knees, pulling Charlotte into a big hug. "It'll be okay, everything will be alright. Don't worry. I'm here for you."

It was then that she noticed me, sitting on the other side of Charlotte. I could see the tears forming in Hope's eyes, but she didn't pay me much attention. She sat down on the other side of Charlotte.

"Charlotte, look at me," she said, cupping Charlotte's chin with her hands, making Charlotte look up and into her eyes. "They love you and they are so proud." Charlotte buried her nose into Hope's shoulder, tears still streaming down her face. A tear slowly fell down Hope's cheek.

I felt so terrible that I couldn't do anything. "Is there anything I can do?" I asked quietly, almost at a whisper. Hope nodded no, as she pulled Charlotte into her arms, hugging her closely. Charlotte's tears slowed, and she pulled her head up from Hope's shoulder where it was been resting, and spoke clearly, whipping her tears away. "I'm so sorry. I'm good. I'm sorry."

Hope spoke first. "It's okay. Don't worry about it. We're always here for you. C'mon, let's get up." She got up, and then pulled Charlotte up onto her feet. She gave Charlotte another hug and whipped her eyes. "Okay. Carter, would you mind walking her back to her room?"

"Not at all, it would be my pleasure." Hope whispered something into Charlotte's ear, which made her laugh weakly, then she came to take my arm as I escorted her to her room.

We started walking back to her room as we spoke. "I'm so sorry Carter. I just miss my family like crazy. It's hard being away from them when I know they need me."

"Don't be sorry, Charlotte. You must miss them a lot, and I understand. I know they must be very proud that their daughter was even chosen to take part in the Selection." We had arrived at her room. She opened the door and led us in. "But, if you wanted to go home to be with your family, I could make it happen. I would be devastated to not have you here anymore." Even though it would kill me to see her go, I just wanted what was best for her.

Charlotte looked into my eyes, questioningly. "I don't want to leave," she said quickly. "I miss my family, but I don't want to leave the palace, the food, the fancy furniture. And. And I don't want to leave you."

Her eyes started tearing up again, and before I could think twice, I put my hands around her waist and I kissed her.


	9. Chapter 9

A few days later…

 **Carter POV:**

As I was walking down the hall, I heard people laughing in the theatre, so I went to see what was going on. When I entered the room, I saw Sierra, Noah, and another girl sitting in between them. They all sat in separate giant comfy chairs, watching a movie. They were all wearing ridiculous outfits. Noah was in his pajamas, and Sierra and the other girl were wearing baggy grey pants and simple white cotton shirts. All three were also wearing ridiculous hats that were in bright colors and bizarre patterns.

I cleared my throat, making them all look at me. As soon as I looked into her unmistakable green eyes, I knew it was Hope. Her blonde hair was down and her hat was pulled down over her forehead, stopping just above her eyebrows.

"Whoa," I said upon entering. "Is this some kind of party that I wasn't invited to?" They all three laughed as I continued to walk in.

My sister replied, "Nope. Just watching a movie, like normal people." That sent Hope and Noah over the edge. They both started laughing as if they were mad, and Sierra gave me an innocent smile.

"Normal people, huh?" They were all laughing together as if they were the best of friends. It seemed like Hope knew everyone around the palace. "Hope, could I talk to you?"

She nodded, and as she got up, Sierra said something to her that made her roll her eyes. She walked over to me, and I led her out until the hallway.

"Is something wrong?" She asked with a hint of fear in her eye.

"No, not at all. Why would you think so?"

"Oh, okay. I was worried you were sending me home." She looked a little relieved as she said it. I nodded my head no to her, and as I looked into her green eyes, it seemed like my heart stopped. It was like her eyes petrified me; I just couldn't look away.

"I'm so sorry I haven't been to the training room in a while… " I apologized quietly.

"It's okay, Carter. You're the Prince, you have other things to do." She replied understandingly with a smile.

"So. What in the world are you wearing? Is this the new movie-watching style?"

She laughed at that. "I'm afraid that you're going to have to talk your brother about that."

And then a loud, piercing alarm sounded in the palace.

I grab Hope's hand and run to a painting on the wall, pulling her behind me. I swing the painting off the wall, revealing a hidden door leading to a safe room. While I hadn't actually heard a real alarm, my parents had made me learn where all the safe rooms are located around the palace.

We sprint down a flight of stairs into a small room, where we stop, with nothing left to do.

"What's happening?" asks Hope, above all the sirens.

"I don't know. It might be rebels attacking the palace, it could be a drill, it could be anything. We could be in here for hours, for all I know." Hope gives me an understanding look as we both sit down with our backs against a wall.

While we are stuck in a small safe room, all the other ladies could be in danger outside in the palace. They hadn't been expecting anything like this to happen.

During the Selection, Hope had become a good friend; someone who I could really talk to and she could give me advice. She also helped me figure out each of the girls, and what I felt for them.

"You really like her, don't you?" she said knowingly, resting her head on my shoulder.

"She's everything I was looking for, I really do." I bowed my head down, smiling at the thought of the girl I wanted to marry. For now, she was somewhere in the palace, and I could only hope that she was safe.

Soon after, Hope fell asleep with her head, resting on my shoulder.

 **Bella POV:**

Waiting in the giant safe room with all the important people in the palace was one of the worst experiences ever. In one corner sat the Queen and her husband along with Princess Sierra and Prince Noah who were in ridiculous outfits. Everywhere else there was members of the Elite crying about the alarm that had gone off. Morgan was pacing nervously and Audrey, Charlotte, Georgia, Jade and Natalia sat in a corner bawling their eyes out.

But, Carter and Hope weren't in the safe room at all. The guards said they were probably in a smaller safe room and that they were sure they were safe, which reassured us all.

It was the worst experience ever. I did not want to sit in a room uselessly with crying people for absolutely no reason. Nothing bad was happening anyways.

Rebels most likely had attacked the palace. I was told that it had happened during almost every other selection, it made sense; it wasn't that hard to connect the dots.

I wasn't unfamiliar with the rebels; I knew what they wanted; I actually knew them pretty well. But that was my secret, and I don't want it to get in the way of me getting Carter.

 **Carter POV:**

The minute we were let out of the safe room, there was only one person I wanted to see. Charlotte. But, as I attempted walking towards her room, I was pulled aside by a general who was explaining what had happened. I was assured that everyone was safe, that the rebels hadn't done any damage and had barely made it into the palace at all, but that they needed me to review papers and write summaries. I reluctantly agreed, being a Prince meant I had an endless amount of work to do.

I finished my work just before dinner, right as the sun was setting; and I went to go find Charlotte.

I found her in her room. I let myself in and found her on her bed, in tears.

"Charlotte? Are you all right?" I was worried about her. I tried to put my hand on her shoulder, but when I did, she pushed it away and kept crying.

A maid came out form the bathroom and spoke to me. "Your Highness, I think she needs to be alone right now. I'm so sorry." She curtsied, and I felt like hitting a pillow with anger. I hated seeing her cry and not being able to comfort her. But instead I walked to the door, looked back at Charlotte with sadness and concern, and I left.

I didn't know what to think, I didn't know what to feel. I didn't know what was wrong, I just wanted her to be okay, I wanted to see her smile, to have her accept me.

Later on, I received a note from her, telling me to meet her on the roof at 5. My heart beating quickly, I went to my room to change into a more comfortable outfit, and went to see Charlotte.I was so relieved that she wanted to see me.

I walked up the staircase to the roof, and as I stepped through the doorway, I immediately saw the beautiful sky. The sun was setting and the sky was painted in a mixture of pink, orange, and yellow. And, looking out towards the city was Charlotte. Her back was turned, so she didn't know I was there. She was wearing a yellow dress that made her look all the more beautiful.

I walked up to her and wrapped my arm around her waist and kissed the top of her head. She smiled up to me, with a hopeful look, and then turned out to watch the city. The view was amazing, more so than usually. We stood in silence, my arm around her waist, just looking into the distance, savoring the moment.

"Carter…." I looked towards her as she spoke. "This isn't easy for me to say, but please hear me out."

I nodded silently, not knowing what to expect.

"Ever since I met you, I knew how great of a guy you were. Kind, caring, smart, passionate. So much more than a Prince. But you are a Prince. And while it's an amazing title for you, it isn't for me. I can't live in danger; I can't be away from my family, I can't leave them behind. I need to be with them, and I need to stay safe for them." She stopped and bit her lip. Her eyes sparkled in the light, as if tears were forming and gave me a faint smile.

"You are an amazing man, and I'm so lucky to have been able to get to know you. But I can't stay here with you forever; I have to go home to my family, to my old life."

My head started spinning, and I couldn't think. What was happening? All I could do was listen even though I didn't want to. What she was saying was so unexpected, and I could tell that my future was crumbling right before my eyes.

"I've had an amazing time here. Thank you for that. But this life isn't for me, and I wanted to let you know once I realized it." A tear rolled down her cheek. "Thank you so much for everything Carter. But this is hard. This is good-bye." She looked down towards the ground.

I didn't know what to say. "Charlotte; you can't leave. I'm here for you, and I know it's hard, but we can figure it out together-"

"No. We can't. You belong at the palace, but I don't belong here. Our lives are different, nothing will change that. I'm so sorry." I took her hands, and turned her so that we would be facing each other.

"Charlotte, I need you. You make me a better person. You complete me-"

"You don't need me, Carter. You're strong. You'll figure it out, I know you will; I believe in you. You have a great group of girls here, and I know you'll find someone who is just as kind, caring, and compassionate as you are." More tears came, rolling down her cheeks. "But I need to leave. Thank you for everything."

She pulled her hands out of my grasp, and kissed my cheek softly. The, she turned and walked away.

I felt crushed. I leaned against the wall, holding myself up right as the world spun around me while I processed what had just happened. Charlotte was gone. The one girl I thought I could spend the rest of my life with was gone. I would never propose to her, I would never have a life with her. I would never grow old with her by my side, I would never be able to see hints of her face in out children. I felt my future was just ripped away from me.

I sat down on the ground as a tear rolled down my cheek. I couldn't remember the last time that I had cried, the last time I had felt like this.

I felt like my life had just fallen apart. I felt worthless, unlovable. Charlotte was the most amazing girl I had ever met, and I hadn't done enough, and hadn't been good enough for her. If I were worthy of her, she would have stayed. My heart felt like it had been ripped apart.

I sat alone by myself as the sun set, trying to put myself back together unsuccessfully.

It was completely dark, and the rooftop was only illuminated by a light coming from the entrance.

After a couple hours, a figure emerged from the entrance, appearing in the light. The girl walked over to me, her heels clicking as she walked.

Even though I wanted to be alone, she was the only person who I wanted to be around. As she came closer, I got up. She had tears rolling down her cheeks, and looked the saddest I had ever seen her.

She wanted to me, and wrapped her arms around me hugging me closely. Seeing her pain only reinforced mine, and fresh tears started forming in my eyes.

"She's gone." I said softly, as she cried into my shoulder.

"I know. I miss her." Hope replied. "I know you do too."

We sat down next to each other. Charlotte meant a lot to both of us, and we both were going to miss her. I could only think of her smile, her warm-heartedness, and all her good qualities. All of those qualities were gone, out of my life forever.

"Carter? Are you alright?" Hope asked quietly after some time.

"I- I don't know. I just can't process it. I feel like this is all a dream, and soon I'll wake up, and everything will go back to how it used to be." She nodded understandingly, as another tear rolled down her cheek.

"It's hard, but I know you're strong and you'll get through it. Everything happens for a reason, and you just need to figure what that reason is."

I nodded towards her, appreciatively and I was so thankful to have Hope as a friend. She understood my pain because Charlotte meant so much to the both of us. It was comforting to know that I had someone who understood me through the mist of what was happening.

After some time, Hope left and I stayed alone on the rooftop, my heart shattered

The next week I couldn't take my mind off of Charlotte. I did my work, did everything I needed to do, but I stayed alone. I think in a way I was in denial, I just couldn't believe it. I felt like my life was worthless. It was like I was in a haze; I didn't know what to do with myself.

"Carter." I was eating breakfast in my study when I saw a hand snapping in front of me. I snapped out of my daydream and I looked up at my sister Sierra.

"Carter, you can't keep acting like this." Her hair was pulled pack into a high ponytail.

"Huh?"

"You can't keep throwing yourself a pity party. Charlotte is gone; you have to get over it. You have other girls here that are crazy about you. You can't just ignore them all forever."

"Sierra, you don't get it."

"I do get it. You just need to get over it and move on. If nobody will tell you to, I will. I just want what's best for you."

I felt like getting mad at her for talking to me like that, but I couldn't. When I thought about it, she was right. Even though I truly loved her, Charlotte was gone and she hadn't felt the same way. But that didn't mean that the Selection was over, instead it gave me the opportunity to get to know the other girls that I hadn't given as much of a chance.

With that, I tried to forget about the girl who had broken my heart, and think about the girls that still hadn't.

Even though my heart was still broken, I had to keep my head up. While I couldn't stop comparing everyone to her, I still tried to move past by spending time with the other girls at the palace.


	10. Chapter 10

**Audrey POV:**

A couple of weeks ago, Charlotte had decided to leave the palace, she quit the Selection. Until then, it was obvious that she had been Carter's favorite. Of course, he had spent some time with the rest of us, but we could all see through his act. None of us had a chance. But now that Charlotte was gone, we all actually had a chance, one of us could win. It was like we were starting over.

The Elite sat in the Women's Room talking, waiting for our next assignment from Silvia. She seemed to always have work for us whether it was finding new decorations or planning events.

"Have any of you guys seen Carter lately? I haven't seen him in forever. Like honestly," said Morgan protectively.

"I know Audrey has," replied Jade with a mischievous tone. I blushed and looked away as the other girls looked at me.

Lately I had spent a lot more time with Carter. He was a great guy and I was beginning to like him a lot more.

"Audrey, tell us everything." Exclaimed Natalia happily. But, as I was about to start talking, there was a knock at the door, and in walked Carter himself. He wasn't smiling, and he didn't look at me. It seemed like he had something urgent to talk to us about.

"Sorry ladies, but Natalia and Georgia, may I speak to you?"

 **Carter POV:**

Three weeks after Charlotte had left, I was finally beginning to really get back to my Selection. After almost two months, my group of girls was starting to get a lot smaller, and everything was beginning to be more serious. I hadn't had a lot of time to reconnect with the remaining ladies, but I still needed to make a cut, even if it was going to be hard.

As I walked back into the Women's Room, I felt all eyes on me.

"I'm sorry ladies, but Georgia and Natalia have left. I am truly looking to find my wife through this experience, and while both Georgia and Natalia are great people, I don't believe that they would fit perfectly into my life. You girls knew them both as well as I, if not better. They were both amazing, fun-loving people. I didn't want them to lose those qualities by becoming members of the royal family. They wouldn't be able to be themselves as Princesses, and I didn't want them to change parts of themselves. So, I decided to send them home. Please respect my decision, it wasn't easy."

I looked into the remaining girl's understanding faces, and I was reassured. I knew they were sad that they had their friends were gone, but I knew they understood.

Now there were only five girls left. Hope, Audrey, Morgan, Jade, and Bella. And they were each amazing in their own way.

After my announcement I went into the corridor and waited, wondering if I had just made a huge mistake by sending those girls home. I leaned against the wall as I heard footsteps coming my way.

A caramel haired girl appeared: Morgan. She walked up to me, smiling deviously, wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me with fierceness. I kissed her back, putting my wants around her waist, pushing her against the wall as her hands moved my neck and onto my hair. Kissing Morgan always made me forget about what was going on. It cleared my mind, and all I could think about was the kisses that we shared. I loved how she wasn't afraid of me; she would go for what she wanted. However, I knew that she wanted the crown, not me. She hid it from me, but it was obvious in my mind the whole time. But I liked having her as a distraction, and I was always happy to have her kiss me and distract me from my worries and insecurities.

After a couple minutes, she pulled away, smirking as she moved. "Good job sending them home, Carter, I'll see you around," she whispered, winking as she turned and went back to the women's room.

I smiled to myself as I walked back to my study to continue my work and plan for the upcoming events.

 **Jade POV:**

I'm not the type of girl who goes to a palace to date the Prince with 35 other girls. Until it actually happened, never would I ever have imagined it. Things like that don't happen to girls like me. Girls like me don't tend to like that sort of thing. I expected to come to the palace, enjoy the food and get sent home. But my original plan didn't work out.

It sounds crazy, but instead of loving the food, I ended up loving the Prince. He is such an amazing person, so much better than I could have ever expected. I feel like we complement each other, a match made in heaven. I feel like I could spend the rest of my life with him, that I could love him forever. I just hope he feels that way too.

We were down to five girls, all of which were tough competition. They were all angels, gorgeous angels for that matter.

As four of the girls were sitting in the Women's room talking, Hope walked in with a huge smile on her face. A smile bigger than usual.

"Guys!" she screamed, running towards us. "Family visits are next week!" She almost tackled me on the couch, as we all looked at her, stunned.

"Wait for real?" I asked.

"YES! Carter just told me!" I hugged her, and we all were amazingly happy that we would be able to see our families soon.

Out of all of us, Hope had the biggest family. She had three brothers. Morgan, and Bella were both only children, and Audrey and I each had one sibling. We are all definitely ready to see our families again.

 **Hope POV:**

Finally, finally my family was going to visit. I had missed my family so much during the Selection. I missed seeing my brothers everyday, and always having my dad behind me. Finally I would be reunited with my family. And I knew that we were going to have a blast at the palace, for there were endless sources of entertainment.

I could only imagine what it would be like. But first, I would have to get through the week. Tonight, we were having a party, organized by Sierra. The Queen's extended family was coming over to visit. After a long day of working in the kitchen with Maggie and the others cooks, I went back to my room to prepare and get changed. When I entered, my three maids who were all wearing mischievous expressions greeted me.

"Hope! We have the perfect outfit for you tonight!" Stella said happily with a smirk.

"Why are you all looking at me like that?" I asked, smiling.

"No reason. We think that you should look different tonight, just a bit different. Come, we need to get you ready."

There did my makeup and my hair, but they made me close my eyes during the whole time so that I couldn't see anything. They took their time making each eyelash perfect, or at least I hoped that was what took so long. Then, they did my hair, using different irons, curling, straitening, putting in pins and tying different pieces of hair in different directions. I didn't know what they were planning, but I trusted them and their sense of style. My maids were angels, and they were my friends. I trusted them.

Finally, when they were done, I opened my eyes and I could hardly even recognize myself. My makeup was perfect. My green eyes popped and were surrounded by dark eye shadow. My lips were painted a light red cherry color. Different sections of my hair were braided and pulled back. Many different braids were pinned to the back of my head, and the rest of my hair was left down. It was absolutely gorgeous. Coming from a family with boys, I rarely had the time for myself, and I was rarely able to dress up, no reason to look good. But right then, I felt beautiful.

"Miss, come see your dress," said Stella.

"Stella! How many times do I have to tell you to just call me Hope."

"Fine. Are you ready to see it?" she asked, wide-eyed.

"Sure! I'm sure it will be beautiful.

She unzipped the bag containing the dress, and revealed a bright red dress. The two straps were silver and they shone in the light. The back of the dress was practically inexistent, and the right side of me stomach and waist was open. The dress cut open, and the edge was lined with the same silver material that reminded me of flames. The rest of the dress hung down do my ankles, but there was a slit that cut up to the top of my leg.

I gasped when I saw it, and as my maids put it on, I could hardly believe how gorgeous the dress was.

"Miss Hope, we know that you and Carter are only friends, but we thought that this look would, you know… enhance your look, maybe make him like you a little more? Not that you need it. " Stella winked at me as she spoke.

"Wow. Just wow. You girls truly outdid yourselves. Thank you guys. And you guys already know that we're just friends. A dress isn't going to change that." They giggled as I spoke.

"Of course." Said Stella as she put the finishing touches of makeup on me.

 **Carter POV:**

That night, at the party, I made the effort to dance with each of the girls and spend time with each one. I liked each of the girls in a different way, but they were all important to me. I danced with Jade, who was as cute as ever, and I spent time with Audrey. Then, as I got a glass of champagne, I saw Hope. When I first looked at her, my heart stopped. I hardly recognized her. She was absolutely stunning, and I couldn't take my eyes off of her.

I walked up to her and touched her shoulder.

"Hope."

"Carter," she said smiling, as she turned around "this party is amazing."

"You look, stunning." I said, staring into her eyes. I couldn't help myself; her eyes were like magic. Once you looked into them, you couldn't look away. I couldn't figure out how she had that kind of power over me.

"Thanks," she said, looking down. "You don't look to bad yourself," she answered, eyeing me.

I felt so awkward. I couldn't talk to her like normally; that moment just felt different. "Dance?"

"Of course!" I led her out onto the dance floor, and we started dancing among the crowd.

"Carter!" Hope said as she winced after I had stepped on her foot.

"I'm sorry! You know I'm an awful dancer," I cried with mercy.

"Good point, I should have known what I was signing up for." We both laughed as we walked off the dance floor. Soon after, I left her talking to a guard and I went to go find Bella.

I found Bella outside near the entrance to the garden, so I went up to her and said hello.

"Bella, you look gorgeous." She was wearing an icy blue dress that matched her eyes. She turned to look at me, pursing her lips.

"Did you finally decide it was time to stop talking to that tramp? Honestly that red dress just makes her look like a red pepper." She leaned into my shoulder, and her breath smelled like wine. "Time to spend some time with yours truly, at least I'm not fake, and I have a real name."

I was stunned. I didn't know what to think.

"Excuse me?" I asked feeling insulted.

"Well, yeah. Hope hasn't stopped flirting with every guy that comes near her. She tries way to hard. And what is she wearing anyways. Did she forget half her dress in her room?"

I knew she had had a bit too much to drink, but I knew that when people drank too much, their true personality was shown in an exaggerated manner. But seeing Bella like this was so unexpected.

"Bella, please apologize."

"No. I wouldn't say something I didn't mean. You can't get mad at me for telling the truth."

I couldn't take her absent-mindedly insulting my best friend. It was downright rude and insulting.

"Bella. Stop." I replied with a stern, cold voice.

"No. Don't tell me what to do."

I was absolutely stunned. "Bella, please go pack your bags and leave. Thank you for participating in the Selection."

"What?" She replied with a disgusted tone. Her voice was starting to scare me.

"You heard what I said." I replied fiercely, not giving into the new person I was talking to.

"Carter, you can't do that. I'm staying. You don't want to send me home," she replied with a tone that was just as fierce as my own.

"I am the Prince, you must do as I say."

"Carter," she said warningly as she stared daggers at me. "Don't do it." I looked away, not looking into her icy glare while keeping my jaw clenched shut. "If you send me home, not only will your heart be broken, but your palace will be as well." The words she spoke were beginning to actually be frightening. What did she mean by that? "You don't want to find out what would happen if you eliminated me."

I didn't know what she meant and my head started spinning. It seemed like I was living a nightmare. I looked down, not wanting her to see my emotions and saw a tattoo on her foot. It was a star. It was abnormal yet I recognized it. I tried to pin down the image and what it was; memories running through my mind. And then I figured it out. It was the rebel sign. Rebels.

She was a rebel. The attack on the palace. She had to have had something to do with it. I connect the dots quickly and I made a discrete signal to a guard who came over immediately. He rushed over and I told him to take Lady Bella into the prison for questioning. He abided without asking questions, without doubting me, and took her away. As she was being led away, all I could see were her icy, cold eyes staring at me menacingly, dangerously.

My head was spinning. I was scared. I didn't know what was happening, I didn't have nay control over my future, and it was truly scary. I couldn't stay at the party. After seeing the real Bella, I needed to think things over. I truly had trusted Bella; I thought that she was a genuine person. But it turned out that she wasn't. I didn't know what she was, but I knew that she was here for the wrong reasons. I felt betrayed, tricked in the worst of ways.

I left the party and walked to the roof where I knew I wouldn't be bothered. I didn't know what to think. I didn't know how to deal with the Selection.

As I was thinking, I heard a pair of shoes clicking, someone walking up behind me.

"Carter, are you alright?" said a familiar, soft voice. Hope sounded worried as she walked up to me. I did my best to cover up my emotions, not wanting to make my friend worry about me, but clearly I wasn't good enough of an actor. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm fine, it's okay, don't worry," I replied, giving her a weak smile.

"Carter. What's wrong," she demanded, turning me towards her, and making me look into her eyes.

"I sent Bella home."

"What happened?"

"She… she insulted you. It turns out that she was against me the whole time. She's a rebel."

"Whoa."

"Yeah. I didn't expect anything like that, especially from her. And the things she said… it's scary, you know?" Hope nodded understandingly, thinking.

"So she was faking it this whole time?" she asked sadly.

"I think so. I just thought that what we had was real. I trusted her."

"I'm so sorry." Her eyes looked pained, as if she felt was I was feeling.

"It's hard because I don't know anymore. I don't know who I can trust, who I can love. I don't want to be tricked again, I don't want put my family in danger."

"You're so strong. So much has happened to you because of this process; I know it's hard for you." She stood right next to me as we both leaned on the wall. She rested her head on my shoulder. "I'm here for you. I know there's not much I can do, but I promise to do my best to help you get through this mess of a Selection. That's what friends are for," she said, giving me a soft smile.

She so understanding, so reassuring, so beautiful. I looked into her eyes once again, and I saw a completely different girl. She was so beautiful, so genuine, so trusting, and so real. Without thinking, I wrapped my hand around her waist, touching her bare skin that wasn't covered by the dress; pulling her closer to me. I leaned down, looking into her magical eyes and pressed my lips to hers, kissing her.

Kissing Hope was like having a first kiss all over again. It was amazing, it was perfect. She wrapped her arms around my neck, resting her arms on my shoulder as she returned my kisses in the moonlight.

She pulled away too soon, looking down at her feet, taking a step back.

"I should go," she said softly, looking back up at me. I wanted to ask her to stay, but I didn't have the courage to do it. She leaned up and kissed my cheek, and left.

Being with Hope made me feel reassured, and I felt so comfortable when I was around her, and I definitely felt like I could trust her. She helped me forget about Bella, and showed me that I was strong, and that I still could find my wife during the Selection.

I didn't see Hope for the next couple days, but I knew that what we had was different. I didn't really understand it, but I knew that it was something.


	11. Chapter 11

Hope POV:

Today my family was coming to the palace. I was ecstatic out of my mind. After two months, I was going to be able to see my brothers and my dad. I woke up, jumping out of bed, and got ready for the day. My maids helped me put on a short black dress with a halter top, showing my shoulders. It was tight against my skin, and it was the perfect casual dress. I put on some black heels, and did my hair. My maids pulled it back into a loose, messy ponytail, leaving a few strands to frame my face.

In the morning before we would meet our families, we had to record for the Report. Every week we always had to sit through recording sessions and interviews, and each session always seemed to fly by. This time Gavril insisted upon asking about the family meetings. Normally the sessions went by quickly, but this one could not be longer. I watched the minutes tick by; I counted down the seconds until I could see my family.

After the Report, we were all taken to the Great Hall. Jade, Audrey, and I had become close friends after Charlotte left, and as we walked, we practically skipped with happiness. I wasn't the only one who was excited to see my family.

As we walked into the Great Hall, I noticed all the cameras in the room that were ready to record everything that happened. Prince Carter was also there, but he immediately started talking to Jade on one side of the room. I felt a little jealous, which was a new feeling for me; I didn't usually care when he talked with the other girls. But the jealousy rushed away, I was too happy to care. Silvia came over to us, and told us where to stand. We were all lined up, each standing separately in our own spaces, but aligned, facing the big entrance to the room. Carter came up in front of us to talk.

As he stood in front of us, I noticed how fancy he looked. His hair was perfectly styled into blonde perfection. I noticed that his jaw was clenched; he was nervous. His blue eyes shone in the light that was shining through the windows. It was right then that I noticed how handsome he was.

"Good morning ladies. As you already know, each of your families have been invited to the palace. I am both excited and nervous to meet them!" It was so funny how he used his fancy vocabulary when the cameras were around. "Hopefully today I will be meeting the family of my future wife. Without further ado, let me welcome the families."

My heart was beating out of my chest. I could practically feel the presence of my family. First, Morgan's parents walked out, looking very poised. They were elegantly dressed, and they walked calmly over to Morgan, who waited patiently for them at her spot. As they greeted each other, Jade's family walked through the doors. As soon as they appeared, Jade started crying, and her younger brother ran over to her and embraced her as they cried into each other's shoulders.

I felt tears falling down my cheeks. My family hadn't even come yet, but seeing my friends feel so loved, being reunited with their families, seeing their happiness was enough to make me cry. Then Audrey's family walked in. They second they showed up, she ran over to them, she couldn't help herself. They all looked alike. They all had red hair, and Audrey's younger sister looked like a miniature version of her. As they walked back to Audrey's area, I realized that I was the only one who hadn't yet seen her family. I wiped the tears off my cheeks and stood a little straighter.

Then, a blonde head appeared in the doorway, followed by 3 others. My brothers and my dad all wore black suits that fit them perfectly. They looked so fancy, and their blonde hair was combed to perfection. My heart stopped, and I ran to my family as I started crying once again. I ran right into Andy's arms, tackling him as he caught me, hugging me closely. My oldest brother held me tightly, and I went to hug my dad, then Will, and then James. I couldn't stop smiling.

As we walked back to my spot, I looked at Carter who was watching me, smiling happily. I was so happy to be with my family. I put my arms around my two older brothers, Andy and Will, while Silvia gave us a talk. I didn't hear a word she said, I could only focus on my family.

After her speech, the cameras were finally dismissed, and finally I could talk to my brothers and my Dad.

"I've missed you guys so much. Thank you for coming." I exclaimed happily, hugging my father.

"We'd do anything for you, Hope. You know that." Said my dad as my brothers surrounded me.

Carter POV:

I was so happy to be able to meet the families of the remaining four girls. They all seemed so happy and cheerful. All the girls were so happy to see their families, and while I was excited to be able to meet the families, I was also very nervous. What if they didn't like me? One of these families could potentially be my future family, and I wanted them to like me above anything.

Once all the families had arrived and each family had time to talk, I went over to each one to introduce myself. I first went over to Morgan and her parents.

"Mr. and Mrs. Freeman, it's an honor to meet you both," I said, nodding my head at both of them. They seemed very comfortable with the cameras, and they all seemed very poised.

"Your Highness, thank you for having us." I chatted to them for a while, and then I met Jade and Audrey's family. They were both more than thankful to be at the palace. They were much more genuine than Morgan's parents, and both of them seemed more awkward around the cameras. I was very happy to talk to each of them, and I was glad that we all got along.

I was most nervous about meeting Hope's family. Even though I was the prince, her father and her brothers seemed really intimidating. They all seemed like the manliest men I had ever seen in my life; and I had known a lot of manly guards. They were all tall and blonde like Hope, and they each fit perfectly into their suits, each looking sharp as if they were all models.

I walked up to them, putting my hand on Hope's shoulder as I arrived. She looked up at me, making room for me between her and her father, so I was standing right across from her brothers.

"This is Prince Carter. Carter, this is my dad, Andy, Will, and James."

"It's an honor, I've heard so much about each of you," I said gratefully. The two oldest brothers both stared at me with their piercing green eyes, as they stood tall.

Hope turned towards me as she said, "We were going to play volleyball tonight, would you like to come?" I smiled and nodded. I then tipped my head to her father and walked away.

As I was walking towards my own family, Hope came up behind me and took my hands.

"Carter, thank you so much for having them here, it means so much to me. Don't worry, they'll warm up to you." She winked, and turned to go back to talk to her siblings.

I then invited Audrey and her family to have lunch with me so that I could get to know them better.

The whole lunch with them was all too perfect. I could tell that Audrey's parents adored me, and her sister did as well. They treated me like I was their son already, and I was so thankful to have them appreciate me. Audrey's younger sister Alice was an angel. I really had a great time getting to know them, and after spending time with them, I definitely could see them becoming a part of my family.

After lunch, I went to go have a tea party with Morgan and her parents. I knew that they would be much harder critics than Audrey's family. I invited them to tea, and hoped for the best.

It turned out to be all right. They were very interested in the politics, and we mostly talked about the country and how the economy was doing. It wasn't my favorite topic of conversation, but it did pass the time.

Next came the dinner with all of the families together. That also passed quickly. Each of the families sat together at their own tables, including my family and me together. I carried on with my work until midnight when I knew Hope would be at the gym.

At midnight, I put on a gym shirt and shorts, and I went down to the training room where Hope and her brothers would meet me.

Hope POV:

At midnight, my brothers and I were waiting for Carter down in the training gym. While we were passing around the volleyball, Carter entered the room. As he walked towards us, my second oldest brother, William, or Will for short, hurled the ball straight at him. Carter immediately put his hands out, and caught the volleyball right as it pounded against his chest, looking as flustered as ever. I started laughing at his expression as Will walked over, and put his arm around Carter's shoulder, also chuckling.

"Nice catch, Prince Charming," he said, treating Carter as if they had known each other for forever. "Let's play ball."

As I continued to double over, laughing, my other brothers went over to greet him.

We made the teams: Andy, Will, James, Carter, and I, versus a group of five guards. Once we started playing, we were definitely the better team. Obviously my brothers and I were unbeatable because we had been playing together for years. But Carter fit perfectly into our group by hitting every ball that came towards him. It was amazing. I loved being able to have my family with me, and I loved that they were able meet Carter.

Carter POV:

With all the families at the palace, so much more was happening. All the guards and maids had loads of things to do, and everything was hustling and bustling. I spent time with all of the families and got to know them all.

Today I was once again spending time with Hope and her brothers. I had the best time with her family because her brothers were more my age, and it was nice to be able to talk to guys my age and who didn't treat me like royalty. Andy Will, and James definitely didn't treat me like a prince, and I liked that about them. They treated me like a friend, just another guy, and I like that about them.

Andy was 21, and he in a way, already treated me like a younger brother even though we had only known each other for a couple days. Will, 19 years old, was also just as friendly. James was fifteen but he was tall enough to be much older. Hope was 18, the third kid in her family. I could tell that they were all really close. They weren't just siblings, but they were best friends as well. Their father was a very caring person, he was very gracious and I could tell that he just wanted what was best for his kids. They were all very tall; Hope being the shortest. Even though I was pretty tall, her brothers were much taller than I was. James was about my height even though he was three years younger than me. Hope was shorter than all of us; the top of her head reached the tip of my nose. They all had the same blonde hair and sharp, green eyes.

Today we were going to the pool. I went outside to find them all in the water with Andy and Will launching Hope into the air while she black flipped into the water. They were all very fit. I went to join them, and we all played games together in the pool. Hope's brothers were definitely just as friendly as she always was.

After some time, Hope and James went to go get some drinks, leaving Will, Andy, and I sitting on chairs next to the water.

"Carter, you want to talk?" said Andy, nodding towards the gardens. I nodded at him, and we all left our towels on the chairs and headed towards a pair of benches further out into the gardens. We all sat down onto benches, and I could tell that they wanted to have a serious conversation with me.

Andy spoke first. "So Carter, we were wondering…." I looked up at them and saw Andy and Will glance at each other. "We're wondering why you're keeping her here."

"What do you mean?" I asked, not understanding what they were trying to say.

"Why are you keeping Hope here? I'm not blaming you for anything. But I see the way you look at her. It's not the way you look at Audrey or Jade. It's different. You don't love her. But I don't want you to break her heart. I just want to know if you think it's worth it for her to stay here?" I paused.

'I've thought about it, and I really don't know," I replied as I thought about what Andy had said. He did have a point. Hope was a great girl, and I didn't want to waste her time. But then again, I didn't really understand my feelings when I was around her. She was definitely my friend, but I didn't know if she was something more.

"I just… I want to take the time to see if we have a chance together." I said, looking into their eyes. Both of their green eyes had the same effect as Hope's did. They were mesmerizing and made it impossible to look away.

Will started talking as well. "I know I'm her brother, but she's like my best friend. I honestly jut want what's best for her. And I know you're a good, genuine guy. But I don't want you to hurt her. She's too good for that."

"I know she is, and I don't understand how," I answered.

"I feel like the way she looks, the fact that she's pretty is a blessing and a curse at the same time. Sure, she might be beautiful on the outside, but on the inside she's truly so much more."

I thought about what he was saying. And it was true. The way I felt when I looked into her eyes scared me. She was beautiful, and it was terrifying. And it was true that on the inside, she was amazing. Hope was so caring, so generous. She was a friend to everyone, and she was always helping people.

"I feel like if she didn't have her eyes and her looks, people would take her more seriously," continued Will. "I just want you to look at her for who she truly is instead of what she looks like."

I nodded again. "I understand. I don't want to waste her time. I know she's an amazing person, I'm honored to be her friend, and I just want to see if we have a chance. I feel like at the beginning of the Selection, I only saw her from the outside, but then I started seeing the real Hope, and just now I'm actually getting to know her. I want to take the time to figure out who she really is. But I promise you both that I won't waste her time, and I'll be completely honest with her. I won't keep her here if I think it won't work out."

"Thank you. We should go back," said Andy, smiling. "And honestly, I'd love to have your as part of our family."

I was honored to hear that, and I was so happy to be able to spend time with them. After we talked, all three of us returned to the pool, and I ended up going back inside to work, leaving Hope and her brothers outside in the pool.


	12. Chapter 12

**Hi guys! Thank you so much for reading. I hope you are enjoying the story, and I will do my best to post more asap! Please review and tell me what you think (questions, comments, ideas, or anything else!) 3 Thank you!**

 **Hope POV:**

I loved having my siblings with me. At the palace, we could do everything together. We sang, we exercised, ate, and slept together for a full week. The Selection wasn't easy for me thus far, and it was so comforting to be around my brothers. They made me feel safe; they made me feel truly loved. My brothers and I had such a strong connection. I could talk to them about anything.

But too soon they had to leave once again. I was so sad that they had to go, but I knew that it wouldn't be that long before the Selection would be over and I would be able to see them again.

I hugged them all goodbye as they left. Audrey, Jade, and Morgan said goodbye to their families as well and they all went back to the women's room. I stayed and went back to talk to Carter.

"Carter, thank you so much for having them come. It means so much to me." I said, giving him a hug.

"Of course. You have an amazing family, by the way. I loved getting to know your brothers, they are great."

"I knew they would like you," I replied, smiling up at him.

"So, I was wondering if you would want to have dinner with me tonight?" he asked me.

"Of course."

That night, he came to find me for dinner, and he brought me to the roof. The roof was our spot, it was the one place in the palace that was ours and that was reserved for us. A picnic was laid out for us. We sat down on a blanket and started having dinner together.

"Do you know anything new about the rebels?" I asked him as we ate.

"Nothing. Bella was questioned before she left, but she didn't say anything except that we should expect another attack soon. I don't know what it means, but I'm just glad it didn't happen during the family visits."

"Me too. I'm sorry that this is so hard for you. I'm sure that everything will be all right. Nothing bad will happen to the palace, nothing that you can't fix at least," I reassured him.

"Thanks Hope. I really hope so. I don't want to put any of you in danger."

"Don't worry about it."

"Hope, I also wanted to apologize to you," he said, looking down at the ground that we were standing on.

Confused, I put my hand on his cheek, softly moving his head upwards, making him look up at me.

"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for not taking the time to get to know you at the beginning of the Selection. I'm sorry that I didn't see the real you at first. You're beautiful, you know. Too beautiful for your own good, actually. In the beginning, I just saw you for what you looked like. But the truth is you are so much more than your physical appearance, and I'm sorry for not realizing it sooner." He looked so upset with himself, so apologetic.

I took his hands, holding them close to my heart. "Carter… It's okay. You don't have to worry about it. And to be honest, you're a lot more than a Prince."

We both lay down on the blanket, looking up at the stars together, admiring the beauty of the night sky.

"So where are you at?" I asked him as my head rested on his chest. "With the Selection."

"I don't really know," he replied honestly. "It's so complicated."

"You can talk to me, Carter. Just imagine me as your Selection advisor. Nothing more, nothing less," I said, as he chuckled quietly.

"Well, I don't really know what to think. It's been tough, with Bella and especially Charlotte leaving. But I know I have four great girls still here. Audrey is amazing, and I love spending time with her. Jade is such an inspiring and happy person. I know both of them would make amazing Queens one day. There's Morgan, and you understand that relationship. I'll have to send her home eventually. And then there's you."

"What about me?" I asked, smiling as I wrapped my hands around his strong arm. He mumbled something under his breath, so that I couldn't hear. "What was that, Your Royal Pain"?

"You know how I feel about you."

"I really don't, I honestly don't have a clue." I replied, sighing.

He paused and I could tell that he was thinking. I didn't know what he was going to say.

He stayed silent for a while, then took a deep breath, and spoke. "Well, I've been thinking about us, what we are together, and I think I'm starting to have actual feelings for you. I mean, as I get to know you, I just see more and more sides of you, and it's amazing. Our connection is there, but my head is just telling me that it might not work out."

I processed what he said, thinking. He was being so honest, and I felt like his words were genuine. He felt a connection with me. And lying there with him, under the stars, I felt it too.

I knew that he was afraid of being heartbroken, he was afraid of feeling the same emotions he had felt with Charlotte and then being rejected like before. He was afraid of getting hurt again. He was opening himself to me, and he was letting his guard down. But I wasn't Charlotte, and I didn't know how to react or what to say.

"What are you afraid I'm going to do to you?" I asked quietly. He paused again, thinking of how to respond to my question.

"I'm afraid of falling in love with you. I'm afraid I'm going to love you, and that I won't be able to see that through. I'm scared of being in love with you by the end of this, and that you won't feel the same. I'm afraid of loving you just to lose you."

I looked up into his soft blue eyes, looking for clues to tell me what he was feeling, but found nothing.

"I know what you mean," I replied. We stayed there, looking into each other's eyes with the stars still shining bright above us in the moonlight. "I'm just as scared, because I know it's crazy, but it's real, and I feel it too. Seeing you with my brothers, seeing how they accepted you, it just made me believe that this is real. And I really care about you Carter. There's nothing for you to be afraid of."

He sat up and wrapped his hands around my neck, pulling me closer to him, kissing me softly. In turn, I put my hands on his back, holding him tightly as we kissed on the rooftop. Kissing Carter was amazing. It gave me hope, assurance, and showed me that what he felt was real too. It showed me that Carter wasn't just a friend, but a lot more than that. The night was perfect.

I didn't see Carter for the next couple days, but I knew he was busy, and I knew I wasn't the only girl left in the Selection. I did like Carter, but I was scared of falling for him when there was a chance of him not loving me back. His feelings could still be with someone else. It was scary.

 **Jade POV:**

The Selection was perfect. I got to spend endless time with Carter, and he was the perfect guy. He was true husband material.

We were having lunch together almost two weeks after the family visits in the Great Hall one afternoon.

"Is this salmon?" I asked, holding up a pink cake. My food repertoire was very small, so Carter was teaching me what food was what, and was introducing me to different types of food.

"Nope." He replied, laughing. He picked up another cake, and put it into my mouth, then let me chew it.

"Wow," I said as I swallowed it.

"Wow good or wow bad?" asked Carter with a huge smile.

"No, it's awful," I said, as Carter doubled over with laughter. "I don't understand how you eat this kind of thing everyday!"

"I-" Carter was stopped mid-sentence by loud sound going off in the hallway. It was a loud beep, like an alarm. I froze, scared to death, then looked at Carter, and I could see the fear in his eyes. "Rebels." He whispered quietly.

He grabbed my hand and yanked me to my feet. "We have to go." He said urgently. We started running towards one of the bookshelves dragging me with him. When we got there, he put his hands on one of the books and tilted it. The shelf swung open and revealed a passageway. We rushed through it and Carter closed it behind us, attaching the lock. We ran down the passageway, down a flight of stairs until we reached the giant safe room, the same room we had been in for the first rebel attack.

I left Carter and went to go sit down with Morgan who was already in the room. Carter went to his family. They all looked calm, but I could tell that something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong.

 **Carter POV:**

Even though I couldn't show it, I was terrified. Another rebel attack. Bella's rebel attack. This was only the second one I had ever experienced in my life. I was lucky though, I was able to get myself and Jade to the safe room quickly, and we were both safe. But only two of the four Selected were in the room. We were missing two of them. Audrey and Hope. I went to go help my dad deal with what happening; I might as well make myself useful.

A guard appeared quietly beside us, "Sir, the rebels are in the palace. We don't know how they got in, but we are fighting them back."

I swallowed hardly at the news. Rebels in the palace would mean chaos. It was dangerous. And Hope and Audrey weren't in the safe room. My dad immediately noticed me worrying and comforted me.

"Carter," he said calmly, "don't worry, I'm sure Hope and Audrey will arrive shortly." As soon as he said that, Audrey rushed inside the room accompanied by two guards. She had cuts all over her arms, and the guards' uniforms were stained with blood. I rushed over to them as soon as I saw them appear.

"Audrey. Are you alright?" I signaled for a nurse to come over to us. Audrey was crying, but the nurse looked her over and addressed us.

"She's fine, Your Majesty, she's just scared. I'll get her some bandages."

The nurse took her away, so I went back to talk to my father.

"Dad, is there anything we can do to stop them?"

"I'm afraid not, but we'll all be safe here. Once this is over, all we can do is enforce security and hope it doesn't happen again."

"What about Hope?" I asked, fear running through my mind as I thought about all the possible things that could have happened to her. Audrey had been out there for very little time, and when they found her she had already been hurt. If Hope was still out there, who knows what the rebels would have done to her. They were vicious; there was no doubt about it. We didn't know what or who they wanted, for all I knew, Hope could have been taken captive; Hope could be dead.

"She's most likely in one of the small safe rooms, don't worry. We can only hope for the best. You should get some rest while you can." Then he walked over to my mother and sat down beside her.

I went to go find Sierra, who was sitting in a corner, not crying, but she looked like she was about to.

"Carter, where's Hope?" she asked, lips trembling.

"We don't know. Dad thinks she's in one of the small safe rooms, but there's no way to tell for sure." I tear fell down Sierra's cheek. It hurt me to see my sister cry.

"I don't want anything to happen to her, Carter."

"Me either. But there's nothing we can do but wait." I replied. I sat down next to her, and we waited. I was truly scared. What if the rebels killed Hope? We knew that they were vicious; they wouldn't spare anyone, especially one of the Selected. What if she was taken as a prisoner? What if I would never see her again? I didn't want to lose her, not now, not ever.

It was 15 hours after the start of the attack that they finally said that it would be safe to go back into the palace. I was sleeping in a cot when Sierra started shaking me, telling me to wake up.

"Wake up Carter, the coast is clear." I jumped out of bed and put on my shoes. "They just started checking the other safe rooms, but they haven't found her yet."

I ran out of the safe room with Sierra right behind me, and into the hallway. "Sierra, look for her on this floor, I'll look on the third floor." She nodded to me, and I ran away until I reached a flight of stairs leading upwards. There were guards everywhere. Some were dead lying on the floor and others were wounded. There were also some other men, clearly rebels, lying among the wounded guards. There had clearly been a battle, and no lives had been spared. These rebels were serious about what they wanted and clearly would stop at nothing to get it. I ran past them, running into every room I found, looking for Hope. Guards were looking for her with me as we each looked in different hallways and rooms.

I ran into a new hallway as I felt my blood pulsing through my veins. In the hallway I found a rebel lying still on the floor. Further down, I saw two figures also slumped against the marble on the ground. I ran to them tiredly, slowly losing faith that we'd ever find Hope. As I approached, I got a better view, and I stopped dead in my tracks.

Blonde hair. Blue dress. Hope.

"HELP" I yelled as I sprinted to her. I knelt down by her body that was sprawled on the floor. Her eyes were closed. I shook her, trying to wake her up with no success. She had a deep cut in her forehead. My eyes shifted to her hands that were covered in blood. Then I noticed a wound just above her ankle. I picked her up, and ran back the way I had come as guards found me.

My head pounded. "We need to get her to the hospital. Now." I said forcefully, ordering the guards around me.

A guard took her from me and ran away with her, carrying her away, down to the hospital wing of the palace. I rushed after him, pushing through the line of guards that stood before me. I needed to be with Hope. I couldn't lose her. Not now.


	13. Chapter 13

**Hope POV:**

I woke up to a searing pain in my head. I tried to open my eyes. My eyelids flickered open, but I was greeted with darkness. As my eyes adjusted to the light, I remembered everything. My heart started beating faster and tried to look around the room I was in. I realized that I was laying on a bed my bed at the palace. I pushed myself upright, ignoring the throbbing pain coming from the left side of my forehead and from my ankle.

As soon as I moved, I heard something from the other side of the room. I looked over, and saw Carter, who was getting up from a chair.

"Did I wake you up?" I asked weakly, already feeling guilty.

He tried to smile, but he just looked worried. He looked like a wreck. His hair was messy and his suit coat was unbuttoned and wrinkled. He came over to the bed and sat on it, facing me. "No, silly. You scared me, you know. You scared me so badly. How are you feeling?"

"Good." I saw him look at my forehead.

"You don't look so good. The doctor said to take these," he said, handing me pills, which I took and swallowed. "It'll help your head."

"I'm so sorry Carter." I said, remembering what had happened the night before. I felt a tear roll down my cheek. He took my hand, holding it tightly, comforting me. "I didn't mean for this to happen."

"It's not your fault, Hope. You didn't do anything wrong," he replied.

"When the alarm went off I tried to find a safe room. But the rebels were so fast. One had shot a guard. I went to go help him; he was my friend. But a rebel found us. The guard shot him, but not before the rebel had the time to fire some shots of his own. He shot my ankle. Then he threw his gun at us. That's all I remember." My breathing quickened, thinking of what had happened. "What time is it?"

"Just about midnight. You've been sleeping since the attack. I found you unconscious in a hallway. We took you to the hospital and they gave you stiches on your ankle and they bandages your forehead. I'm so glad you are all right. It could have been so much worse, I could have lost you." Carter had a pained look on his face, and I could tell that he was truly upset.

"But I'm fine. And I'm here. There's no place I'd rather be."

"You aren't fine! You almost died. That rebel could have shot you, and you would have been dead in a second." I opened my mouth to say something, but I closed them once again, not knowing what to say. Carter took a strand of my hair and swirled it with his fingers and looked at me quietly. "I don't know what I would do if I had lost you." He said quietly,

"Everything happens for a reason, Carter. I truly believe it. And I'm alright, I'm here." He nodded. A knocking sound came at the door, and my whole body tensed. My heart started beating faster again. A guard entered hurriedly, bowed his head to Carter and me, and left just as quickly as he had come.

Carter noticed my fear and comforted me. "Just a guard, no more rebels. You're safe Hope. You don't have to worry." I smiled back to him silently thanking him even though it pained me to move at all. Even though I wasn't feeling my best, I looked at Carter and instantly worried about him.

"How long have you been here?" I asked.

"Since they released you from the hospital. I couldn't work knowing you might not be okay."

"You should get some sleep, Carter." I said, noticing the tried bags under his eyes.

"No. You don't need to worry about me. I'm here for you. We've all been worried. Sierra is worried sick, and we already called your family to tell them. You should call them when you're ready to." I nodded again, as he got a phone from my desk, and dialed my family. He handed me the phone, and I waited as it buzzed.

After the second buzz, Andy picked up the phone. "Hello?" He spoke into the speaker.

"Andy?" I exclaimed.

"Hope! Hope! Guys, its Hope!" he called, not into the phone. "Hope. Are you alright?"

"I'm alright. Rebels shot me, but the bullet juts skimmed my ankle. I'm truly fine."

"You aren't all right. You were shot. We've all been so worried."

"I'm sorry." He mumbled something into the phone, and then talked to someone else. He came back to the phone, and continued talking.

"Is it actually worth it for you to stay at the palace? Hope you need to be safe." I could tell that he was worried about me. I knew he wanted what was best for me, and I knew he wanted to keep me safe, but I wanted to stay at the palace, I wasn't ready to leave.

I sighed. "It's worth it. I want to stay."

Andy stayed silent on the other end of the phone. "I trust you Hope, but stay safe. Dad wants to talk to you, so I have to give him the phone. We love you sis."

I talked to my dad and my other brothers, who all wanted to make sure I was all right. When I was done, my dad asked to talk to Carter. I handed him the phone, and watched as Carter talked to my father.

I couldn't understand that much of what they were talking about based off of what Carter was saying, but I could tell that they were having a serious conversation. I watched Carter for a while before I drifted to sleep as my eyelids flickered shut.

 **Carter POV:**

The relief I felt when I found out that Hope was all right was unexplainable. I thought I had felt heartbreak when Charlotte left the Selection, but that pain was nothing compared to what I felt knowing that Hope might have died.

I didn't know why it hurt so much to think of her in pain, it was something I didn't understand. Finding Hope in the hallway was one of the scariest things I had ever seen. But, I'd never seen anyone with such a good attitude about a bad experience. Within a week, Hope was already hobbling around the palace, and the cut on her forehead was almost completely healed. She always wore a smile on her face even though I could tell that she was hurt. Hope still went to the training room to do whatever exercise she could manage, though mostly they were things for which she didn't have to move her legs. I never saw anyone recover so quickly from an injury. It was downright impressive.

The selection was at a standstill. The newspapers didn't have anything to talk about, and we needed to give the public some new information. I could tell that my parents were going to want me to have another elimination soon. The last one was Bella, and it felt like that was ages ago. I knew I couldn't talk to Serra about the Selection; she would end up laughing at me. So, I went to talk to my Mom. I knew she had been in the same position as I was during her Selection. Even though I didn't have the closest relationship with my mother, I knew I could talk to her about things, and that she'd always support me.

I went to her office, and knocked on her door. She called out to enter, so I came in quietly.

"Hey honey," she said, smiling softly.

"So awkward topic; but how did you chose Dad during your Selection?"

She laughed at my question, "Why are you asking? Having a tough time choosing?" I rolled my eyes at her, only making her laugh more. "Well, I pretty much knew the whole time that he was the one. We just clicked immediately."

"You know, not everyone has it as easy as you do, Mom," I replied sarcastically.

"You are having quite the Selection though. I think it's the most entertaining for Ilea. I mean, it's been 'dramatic' and with endless plot twists. Great as a distraction for the people, but not as great for you."

"No kidding."

"So what's your problem?"

"I just don't understand how I'm supposed to chose. How do I know what I want in a wife, how to I know how to chose the girl I want to marry?"

"That's the hardest part. Chose someone that you love. That's the main part. You aren't looking for a perfect girl. You're looking for the perfect girl for you. Someone you love."

"Okay, well what's love?"

I saw her look out the window in the office, smiling to herself. She was most likely thinking about her Selection.

"Love is when you look at someone and you have butterflies in your stomach. It's when you think about them when they aren't around. It's when you put their needs before yours. It's not being able to imagine a life without them. It's when you look at them, and you can't think about anything else, when you can't look away. It's hard to describe. But when you feel it, it's amazing." I nodded, thinking.

"I think you love one of those girls, but you just don't realize it yet. But what am I doing, ruining it for you. You need to figure it out for yourself." She chuckled to herself. "But between you and me, that Audrey, she really reminds me of Sierra, with the red hair and outgoing personality." I thought about what she was saying. They did have almost the same colored hair, and their personalities were in fact very similar.

"Wow. You're right." My mom winked at me, and then started reading some papers that were in front of her. "Thanks, Mom."

"Anything for you, My Prince." She replied, looking back up from her papers.

With that, I left her office and went down to the Great Hall. Audrey would be going home. And then there were three.

Saying goodbye to Audrey was hard, but I knew it was something that needed to be done. Even though she was incredibly sweet and fun, she was just like Sierra. And while I truly loved my sister, I didn't want to marry her.

A few days after I had sent her home, I was walking through the corridors when I ran into Hope who was slowly hobbling down the hallway. I smiled when I saw her while looking straight into her eyes. Instead of responding with a smile, she looked down and kept making her way down the hallway, without even acknowledging my presence. She walked past me, and as she walked, I watched her closely.

When she was a couple steps past me, I spoke to her. "Hope?" She kept walking, so I ran up to her and grabbed her hand.

"Carter, leave me alone." Her voice was stern and the look she gave me was petrifying. I dropped her hand. I didn't know what was wrong, but something wasn't right. Hope never acted like this.

I followed her as she walked, trying to walk right by her side, yet she refused to look at me. I tried to walk beside her, but she kept cutting me off. "Hope, you can't run away from me." She stopped at that and spun around, glaring at me.

"What do you want?" She asked coldly.

"What's wrong?" I asked, staring back into her eyes. She stared back at me, and then she sighed, turned around and kept walking. Then, I walked up behind her, grabbed her by the waist and picked her up. I had one hand behind her back, and the other behind her knees so that I was carrying her in a bridal style. "Come on, let's go."

"Carter what the heck are you doing?" I carried her to a conference room that we were close to, with her protesting the whole way. When we got there, I sat down in a chair, still with her laying in my arms.

"You aren't leaving until you tell me what's wrong, Hope." I smiled at her as she hopelessly flailed in my arms.

"You know, you make it really hard for me to hate you when you act like this," she replied, trying not to smile.

"What's wrong, what did I do?" I said caringly, twirling a piece of her blonde hair between my fingers.

"Why did you send Audrey home?"

"Hope…."

"I just don't understand your choice in prospective wives. Audrey, the sweetest girl in the world, was sent home over Morgan. No explanation needed."

"I don't understand..." I replied, confused.

"Oh please, you just like her because she spends her time slobbering over you, kissing you till her face falls off. I hate talking badly about others, but she's so fake, and she's just using you. I just can't take it anymore."

"I didn't know you felt that way, I'm so sorry." I said, trying to apologize.

"I just can't see how you could be falling for someone like that. And if you're falling for her, I can't imagine you falling at the same time for someone like me. It just makes me question everything."

"Hope, I don't want you doubting what we have. I know it's hard during the Selection, but I need you to trust me. I don't want someone like Morgan getting in the way of our relationship."

"Why don't you tell her that the next time you're kissing her?" I burrowed my face into her hair.

"Are you jealous?" I asked, scared of asking the wrong question.

"I'm not jealous, I'm just scared. I'm scared of falling for you when your heart is somewhere else. I'm scared that you'll end up with someone that isn't right for you." Her face softened, and her eyes started watering.

I paused, thinking of what to say. "I want to give you assurance. I need you to have faith in me. But if you want Morgan gone, I'll send her home. I'll do it for you." Hope looked up at me with her beautiful green eyes and smiled hopefully at me.

"Thank you." She spoke quietly. I leaned her upwards so that I could press my forehead to hers. I kissed her softly, pressing my lips to hers.

I pulled back too soon, remembering the Selection. "I can't send her home yet, I'll have to wait, but I promise to spend more time with you. I don't want you to doubt what we have. I need you to stay strong for me." Instead of responding, she put her hands on my jaws, pulling my face closer to hers so that she could kiss me. Kissing Hope made me forget about everything except her, all else falling away. There was something about her that I couldn't get enough of.

"How's your ankle?" I asked her, looking at the boot that she had to wear while her ankle healed.

"Pretty good. I get to take it off in a couple days. I'm just slower than usual. But, I can walk perfectly fine on my own…" she said, eyeing me as I chuckled at her. "I actually was going to see the doctor until someone kidnapped me."

"Yeah, that would be my bad…" I responded as she kissed me again. I pulled back again.  
"So are we good now?" She nodded, smiling, then pulling my face back towards hers, kissing me again and again.

After some time, I realized that I had a meeting with advisors to go to. I picked Hope back up and carried her to the Women's Room even though she protested the whole way. When we got there, I put her down, kissed her quickly, and said good-bye.

"See you later, Prince Charming." She said as she walked away from me and into the Women's Room.


	14. Chapter 14

Hope POV:

I woke up to a searing pain in my head. I tried to open my eyes. My eyelids flickered open, but I was greeted with darkness. As my eyes adjusted to the light, I remembered everything. My heart started beating faster and tried to look around the room I was in. I realized that I was laying on a bed my bed at the palace. I pushed myself upright, ignoring the throbbing pain coming from the left side of my forehead and from my ankle.

As soon as I moved, I heard something from the other side of the room. I looked over, and saw Carter, who was getting up from a chair.

"Did I wake you up?" I asked weakly, already feeling guilty.

He tried to smile, but he just looked worried. He looked like a wreck. His hair was messy and his suit coat was unbuttoned and wrinkled. He came over to the bed and sat on it, facing me. "No, silly. You scared me, you know. You scared me so badly. How are you feeling?"

"Good." I saw him look at my forehead.

"You don't look so good. The doctor said to take these," he said, handing me pills, which I took and swallowed. "It'll help your head."

"I'm so sorry Carter." I said, remembering what had happened the night before. I felt a tear roll down my cheek. He took my hand, holding it tightly, comforting me. "I didn't mean for this to happen."

"It's not your fault, Hope. You didn't do anything wrong," he replied.

"When the alarm went off I tried to find a safe room. But the rebels were so fast. One had shot a guard. I went to go help him; he was my friend. But a rebel found us. The guard shot him, but not before the rebel had the time to fire some shots of his own. He shot my ankle. Then he threw his gun at us. That's all I remember." My breathing quickened, thinking of what had happened. "What time is it?"

"Just about midnight. You've been sleeping since the attack. I found you unconscious in a hallway. We took you to the hospital and they gave you stiches on your ankle and they bandages your forehead. I'm so glad you are all right. It could have been so much worse, I could have lost you." Carter had a pained look on his face, and I could tell that he was truly upset.

"But I'm fine. And I'm here. There's no place I'd rather be."

"You aren't fine! You almost died. That rebel could have shot you, and you would have been dead in a second." I opened my mouth to say something, but I closed them once again, not knowing what to say. Carter took a strand of my hair and swirled it with his fingers and looked at me quietly. "I don't know what I would do if I had lost you." He said quietly,

"Everything happens for a reason, Carter. I truly believe it. And I'm alright, I'm here." He nodded. A knocking sound came at the door, and my whole body tensed. My heart started beating faster again. A guard entered hurriedly, bowed his head to Carter and me, and left just as quickly as he had come.

Carter noticed my fear and comforted me. "Just a guard, no more rebels. You're safe Hope. You don't have to worry." I smiled back to him silently thanking him even though it pained me to move at all. Even though I wasn't feeling my best, I looked at Carter and instantly worried about him.

"How long have you been here?" I asked.

"Since they released you from the hospital. I couldn't work knowing you might not be okay."

"You should get some sleep, Carter." I said, noticing the tried bags under his eyes.

"No. You don't need to worry about me. I'm here for you. We've all been worried. Sierra is worried sick, and we already called your family to tell them. You should call them when you're ready to." I nodded again, as he got a phone from my desk, and dialed my family. He handed me the phone, and I waited as it buzzed.

After the second buzz, Andy picked up the phone. "Hello?" He spoke into the speaker.

"Andy?" I exclaimed.

"Hope! Hope! Guys, its Hope!" he called, not into the phone. "Hope. Are you alright?"

"I'm alright. Rebels shot me, but the bullet juts skimmed my ankle. I'm truly fine."

"You aren't all right. You were shot. We've all been so worried."

"I'm sorry." He mumbled something into the phone, and then talked to someone else. He came back to the phone, and continued talking.

"Is it actually worth it for you to stay at the palace? Hope you need to be safe." I could tell that he was worried about me. I knew he wanted what was best for me, and I knew he wanted to keep me safe, but I wanted to stay at the palace, I wasn't ready to leave.

I sighed. "It's worth it. I want to stay."

Andy stayed silent on the other end of the phone. "I trust you Hope, but stay safe. Dad wants to talk to you, so I have to give him the phone. We love you sis."

I talked to my dad and my other brothers, who all wanted to make sure I was all right. When I was done, my dad asked to talk to Carter. I handed him the phone, and watched as Carter talked to my father.

I couldn't understand that much of what they were talking about based off of what Carter was saying, but I could tell that they were having a serious conversation. I watched Carter for a while before I drifted to sleep as my eyelids flickered shut.

Carter POV:

The relief I felt when I found out that Hope was all right was unexplainable. I thought I had felt heartbreak when Charlotte left the Selection, but that pain was nothing compared to what I felt knowing that Hope might have died.

I didn't know why it hurt so much to think of her in pain, it was something I didn't understand. Finding Hope in the hallway was one of the scariest things I had ever seen. But, I'd never seen anyone with such a good attitude about a bad experience. Within a week, Hope was already hobbling around the palace, and the cut on her forehead was almost completely healed. She always wore a smile on her face even though I could tell that she was hurt. Hope still went to the training room to do whatever exercise she could manage, though mostly they were things for which she didn't have to move her legs. I never saw anyone recover so quickly from an injury. It was downright impressive.

The selection was at a standstill. The newspapers didn't have anything to talk about, and we needed to give the public some new information. I could tell that my parents were going to want me to have another elimination soon. The last one was Bella, and it felt like that was ages ago. I knew I couldn't talk to Serra about the Selection; she would end up laughing at me. So, I went to talk to my Mom. I knew she had been in the same position as I was during her Selection. Even though I didn't have the closest relationship with my mother, I knew I could talk to her about things, and that she'd always support me.

I went to her office, and knocked on her door. She called out to enter, so I came in quietly.

"Hey honey," she said, smiling softly.

"So awkward topic; but how did you chose Dad during your Selection?"

She laughed at my question, "Why are you asking? Having a tough time choosing?" I rolled my eyes at her, only making her laugh more. "Well, I pretty much knew the whole time that he was the one. We just clicked immediately."

"You know, not everyone has it as easy as you do, Mom," I replied sarcastically.

"You are having quite the Selection though. I think it's the most entertaining for Ilea. I mean, it's been 'dramatic' and with endless plot twists. Great as a distraction for the people, but not as great for you."

"No kidding."

"So what's your problem?"

"I just don't understand how I'm supposed to chose. How do I know what I want in a wife, how to I know how to chose the girl I want to marry?"

"That's the hardest part. Chose someone that you love. That's the main part. You aren't looking for a perfect girl. You're looking for the perfect girl for you. Someone you love."

"Okay, well what's love?"

I saw her look out the window in the office, smiling to herself. She was most likely thinking about her Selection.

"Love is when you look at someone and you have butterflies in your stomach. It's when you think about them when they aren't around. It's when you put their needs before yours. It's not being able to imagine a life without them. It's when you look at them, and you can't think about anything else, when you can't look away. It's hard to describe. But when you feel it, it's amazing." I nodded, thinking.

"I think you love one of those girls, but you just don't realize it yet. But what am I doing, ruining it for you. You need to figure it out for yourself." She chuckled to herself. "But between you and me, that Audrey, she really reminds me of Sierra, with the red hair and outgoing personality." I thought about what she was saying. They did have almost the same colored hair, and their personalities were in fact very similar.

"Wow. You're right." My mom winked at me, and then started reading some papers that were in front of her. "Thanks, Mom."

"Anything for you, My Prince." She replied, looking back up from her papers.

With that, I left her office and went down to the Great Hall. Audrey would be going home. And then there were three.

Saying goodbye to Audrey was hard, but I knew it was something that needed to be done. Even though she was incredibly sweet and fun, she was just like Sierra. And while I truly loved my sister, I didn't want to marry her.

A few days after I had sent her home, I was walking through the corridors when I ran into Hope who was slowly hobbling down the hallway. I smiled when I saw her while looking straight into her eyes. Instead of responding with a smile, she looked down and kept making her way down the hallway, without even acknowledging my presence. She walked past me, and as she walked, I watched her closely.

When she was a couple steps past me, I spoke to her. "Hope?" She kept walking, so I ran up to her and grabbed her hand.

"Carter, leave me alone." Her voice was stern and the look she gave me was petrifying. I dropped her hand. I didn't know what was wrong, but something wasn't right. Hope never acted like this.

I followed her as she walked, trying to walk right by her side, yet she refused to look at me. I tried to walk beside her, but she kept cutting me off. "Hope, you can't run away from me." She stopped at that and spun around, glaring at me.

"What do you want?" She asked coldly.

"What's wrong?" I asked, staring back into her eyes. She stared back at me, and then she sighed, turned around and kept walking. Then, I walked up behind her, grabbed her by the waist and picked her up. I had one hand behind her back, and the other behind her knees so that I was carrying her in a bridal style. "Come on, let's go."

"Carter what the heck are you doing?" I carried her to a conference room that we were close to, with her protesting the whole way. When we got there, I sat down in a chair, still with her laying in my arms.

"You aren't leaving until you tell me what's wrong, Hope." I smiled at her as she hopelessly flailed in my arms.

"You know, you make it really hard for me to hate you when you act like this," she replied, trying not to smile.

"What's wrong, what did I do?" I said caringly, twirling a piece of her blonde hair between my fingers.

"Why did you send Audrey home?"

"Hope…."

"I just don't understand your choice in prospective wives. Audrey, the sweetest girl in the world, was sent home over Morgan. No explanation needed."

"I don't understand..." I replied, confused.

"Oh please, you just like her because she spends her time slobbering over you, kissing you till her face falls off. I hate talking badly about others, but she's so fake, and she's just using you. I just can't take it anymore."

"I didn't know you felt that way, I'm so sorry." I said, trying to apologize.

"I just can't see how you could be falling for someone like that. And if you're falling for her, I can't imagine you falling at the same time for someone like me. It just makes me question everything."

"Hope, I don't want you doubting what we have. I know it's hard during the Selection, but I need you to trust me. I don't want someone like Morgan getting in the way of our relationship."

"Why don't you tell her that the next time you're kissing her?" I burrowed my face into her hair.

"Are you jealous?" I asked, scared of asking the wrong question.

"I'm not jealous, I'm just scared. I'm scared of falling for you when your heart is somewhere else. I'm scared that you'll end up with someone that isn't right for you." Her face softened, and her eyes started watering.

I paused, thinking of what to say. "I want to give you assurance. I need you to have faith in me. But if you want Morgan gone, I'll send her home. I'll do it for you." Hope looked up at me with her beautiful green eyes and smiled hopefully at me.

"Thank you." She spoke quietly. I leaned her upwards so that I could press my forehead to hers. I kissed her softly, pressing my lips to hers.

I pulled back too soon, remembering the Selection. "I can't send her home yet, I'll have to wait, but I promise to spend more time with you. I don't want you to doubt what we have. I need you to stay strong for me." Instead of responding, she put her hands on my jaws, pulling my face closer to hers so that she could kiss me. Kissing Hope made me forget about everything except her, all else falling away. There was something about her that I couldn't get enough of.

"How's your ankle?" I asked her, looking at the boot that she had to wear while her ankle healed.

"Pretty good. I get to take it off in a couple days. I'm just slower than usual. But, I can walk perfectly fine on my own…" she said, eyeing me as I chuckled at her. "I actually was going to see the doctor until someone kidnapped me."

"Yeah, that would be my bad…" I responded as she kissed me again. I pulled back again.  
"So are we good now?" She nodded, smiling, then pulling my face back towards hers, kissing me again and again.

After some time, I realized that I had a meeting with advisors to go to. I picked Hope back up and carried her to the Women's Room even though she protested the whole way. When we got there, I put her down, kissed her quickly, and said good-bye.

"See you later, Prince Charming." She said as she walked away from me and into the Women's Room. As I walked away, I smiled to myself.


	15. Chapter 15

Hope POV:

After having talked to Carter, I felt so much better about the Selection. Even though I knew I should be more careful with my feelings, even though I knew that I should keep my guard up in order to protect myself, I couldn't. My feelings for him were real, and I couldn't deny it. After I missed my doctor's appointment, I decided I might as well reschedule it for another day.

In the Women's Room, I found Sierra sitting in a corner. I walked over to see her as she slid over on her couch to make room for me. As I approached I saw that her expression was a mix between a smirk and a beaming smile.

"What!" I asked her as I sat down.

"He liiikesssss youuuuuuuuu" she replied with a singsong voice. I tried to fight the urge to smile and I could tell that my cheeks were turning pink. "So is he a good kisser?"

"Sierra!" I knew I could tell her anything, but it was still embarrassing considering Carter was her older brother.

"Is he?" Her smile was so huge that I had to give in.

"Surprisingly…" She started giggling like crazy.

"You guys are such a cute couple. Like so cute. He totally needs to choose you. Just imagine, then you'd be my sister."

"Wow. Three months ago that would have sounded completely absurd. It still does, actually." I answered, confessing my feelings to Sierra.

"Are you kidding? He totally likes you, he just doesn't know it yet. Have you seen the way he looks at you? And I've never seen him so happy, especially when he's with you." I giggled at that, shaking my head as Sierra put down the magazine she was reading before I came. "By the way, it's his birthday next week." I stopped laughing as soon as she said that.

"Sierra! Of course. How could I have forgotten?" She opened her magazine once more, and I could tell that she was reading reports from the Selection.

"Sierra. This might be crazy but-"

And with that, I had found the perfect present for Carter.

The next few days, I barely got to see Carter at all because he was busy with work. I was upset that I didn't get to spend time with him, but I had to plan for his birthday, so I had no time to waste. I got my boot off my foot, so I could walk normally, just a bit slower than before. The doctor said that I would soon be back to normal.

The night before his birthday, Carter sent me a note asking me to have dinner with him in his room.

When I arrived, I knocked at the door and opened it, entering. "Hello?"

Carter walked up to me, smiling tiredly, and he gave me a huge hug. He looked exhausted. "How are you?" I asked, looking up at him.

"Tired. This week has been so busy; I've had to do so much work. But I'm good. I'm good because you're here." I smiled, leaning into him, wrapping my arms around him, and resting my head against his chest. He kissed the top of my head, pulled away, and took my hand, leading me into his room. I had seen his room before, and it was huge. It was much bigger than the room I had in the palace. The walls were a light tan color, but there were bulletins covering it in papers, pictures and other documents that looked official and important. We both sat down on a couch that had a table in front of it.

"So being a prince is becoming annoying?"

He sighed and replied tiredly. "Very. The people are distracted by the Selection, which is good, but the recent attacks on the palace were brutal. The last one we had was the worst attack since my grandparents' selection. The rebels have never gotten into the palace so quickly. I call the palace my home, and it's scary to think that our lives are in danger. I just can't stop thinking about it, and having to work to stop it all day every day doesn't help."

"I'm so sorry," I replied. "I know there's a way to stop it or at least make peace with the rebels to stop with the attacks. And until then, you can up the number of guards, right? At the very least it would provide more jobs for people in need…"

"Yes. Thank you."

"But, on a more positive note, it happens to be someone's birthday tomorrow."

He smiled at me, but then he looked at a pile of papers on the table, then his smile faded. I turned his face back towards mine. "It's your birthday, silly, you aren't going to work the whole day."

"But I'll fall behind-"

"Carter, please. You're the Prince. Just order someone else to do your work for you. At least for a day," I pleaded.

"If only it were that easy." He smiled again and put his arm around my waist as he ate some food off of the table.

"Besides, I have something we could do, if you would be interested…" I looked at me with his mouth full, giving me a questioning look. His expression was hilarious, so I started laughing.

We spent the rest of the night laughing about things, and I was so glad that I could help him take his mind off of the struggles of being a Prince.

"If only I wasn't a prince, if only I could be a normal person. I can only imagine what it would be like." He said softly. "Things would be so much easier if we were just two people who had met each other in some small town…"

I cut him off, "But if it weren't for the selection, I might have never met you. Everything happens for a reason."

He smiled again. He looked so regal yet so boy-ish. He was too humble for his own good. He couldn't see in himself what everyone else did. He was so caring, so hard working, so concerned for Ilea, and he was absolutely adorable. We stayed quiet for a few minutes, just taking in every moment that we had together.

"Thank you Hope, for spending time with me. Sometimes I wish I was normal, I wish I didn't have to deal with this mess."

"I know. But you were given this life because you are strong enough to handle it." I took his hand in mine and held it tightly, rubbing his knuckle to give him assurance.

He smiled, and kissed my forehead. "Thank you."

I leaned my head against his shoulder, savoring the moment.

"Hope?" he asked softly, seeming a little shy. "I was wondering…" I looked into his bright, calming blue eyes and nodded, telling him to go on. "Could you stay with me tonight?" I raised an eyebrow giving him a questioning look. "You make me feel safe, and I just want us to pretend to be a normal couple for once. Nothing inappropriate, I promise. Please?" I thought about what he was asking, wondering. But in my heart, I knew that there was nothing I wanted more than to be with him.

"Of course, Prince Charming." I answered.

After some time, I went back to my room to change into my sweatpants and a white cotton shirt. When I returned, Carter was working at the table, looking through the giant pile of papers that I had noticed before. I sat down beside him once more. "You can't work forever, you know," I said, watching him work.

"You should get some sleep, it might be a while before I'm done with this." I nodded, and then I kissed his lips softly.

Then, I climbed into his soft, giant bed, and laid down, facing the bedside table and the alarm clock sitting on it. It smelled like Carter, and I couldn't get enough of it. I soon fell asleep.

Later on that night, I heard Carter move around. My eyes fluttered open as he climbed into his bed beside me. He wrapped his strong arms around my waist, holding me closely to him and his chest pressed against my back. He kissed my neck, and then rested his head next to mine. Soon after, his breathing steadied and he fell asleep. There was nowhere I would rather be; nowhere I felt safer. His soft embrace was so calming, so warm and loving, and I I fell asleep much too quickly.

In the morning, I woke up as the light started to pour through the windows. I got out of the bed, leaving Carter to sleep. I went to his closet and walked into the giant room full of clothes. In the back, I found a big sweater. I put it on, and it was much to big, but it kept me warm.

I walked out and found Carter slowly waking up. I sat down beside him, "Happy Birthday, Prince Charming." I said as he smiled at me. "Rise and shine."

He slowly sat up, still smiling. He looked so sleepy, yet so handsome at the same time. His hair was messed up but in the most adorable way. I kept talking. "So I had an idea… I know that you love to sing. And I also know that you want to be a normal person, for a little while at least. So I was thinking that you might want to leave the palace for a while, maybe go to a concert with me?"

He rubbed his eyes sleepily, "Wait… leaving the palace?"

"Yes. I already planned everything, and you need a break from being a Prince. And it's completely safe, but it'll have to be a secret, nobody can find out." He looked at me in awe, but he looked so happy. His eyes were sparkling, his dimples showing from his smile. "You should go see your family, but then we need to get ready to go. We'll be back before dinner. Come and find me in half an hour.

An hour later, I found Carter in a hallway. I brought him down to the room in which the Selected had gotten their makeovers. I had asked a couple of maids and guards who I had befriended previously to help us sneak out of the palace. "So of course, we are going to be a normal couple. But because you happen to be known by everyone in the country, we need to change your look so people don't recognize you, or me for that matter. My maids are going to help us change. You go with Stella; see you soon." I pushed him towards one of the maids and he graciously thanked her before following her to one of the makeover stations.

I went with another maid who I had gotten to know in the past, Alyssa, into one of the makeover stations. The station was equipped with hair dye, eye contacts, and loads of makeup. First, we chose the right color hair dye and eye color for me. I decided to get an ombre hair color. My roots were died a dark brown color, and it turned into a light blonde at the tips. Alyssa told me that the dye would wash out with water. Then, I chose a deep chocolate brown color for my eye contacts. Then, Alyssa did my makeup to make me look more mature. Usually I didn't have my maids put much makeup on me, but now I felt like I had pounds of makeup weighing down my skin. Even though it was a more natural look, I had a lot more makeup on than usual. Then, I changed into a new, more casual outfit. I wore a short black dress. It was plain, short, and it felt so much more comfortable than the usual gowns I had to wear. Alyssa brought me over to a mirror and I got to look at myself. I looked completely different. But I liked my new look. It was different, but a good different.

As I was looking at myself in the mirror, a guy came up behind me and twirled me around.

"You look stunning, even as a brunette," said he as he spun me around. I looked up at him, I immediately recognized Carter, with his dimples and broad, strong face shape. His new style was truly amazing. He had dark brown hair and mysterious dark green eyes. His was still dressed up, but less so than usual.

"Hey there handsome." I said, looking up at him. He put his hand on my waist and kissed me, holding me closely.

"Okay, lovebirds, we really have to leave." Said Jack as he and Matt entered the room. Instead of wearing their usual guards uniforms, they were wearing dress pants and collared shirts, similar to the outfit that Carter was wearing. "Let's go!" he continued.

Carter and I followed Jack and Matt through hallways in the palace that I had never seen before until we were at the edge of the palace. They led us to a small black car. We all entered, and then drove off. I could tell Carter was nervous about being outside of the palace, but I did my best to comfort him. As we drove through L.A city, I could tell that Carter was so amazed. He had seen pictures of the city, he had seen it from the roof of the palace, but he had never actually been able to experience it for himself. The lights, the people, the buildings, they were amazing, and he was amazed.

After a half hour long drive, the driver of the car stopped and let us out. We all got out of the Carter and stepped onto the sidewalk. The driver drove away; telling us that he would come get us after the concert was over.

"Wow." Said Carter, with his eyes shining. He looked around, taking in the view that stood before him. Once he noticed all the people walking through the city, I saw him tense up. He must have been nervous about being in danger, about being recognized. But I knew with our dyed hair and contacts that nobody would recognize us. I took his hand and held it tightly.

"It's beautiful." We couldn't get enough of the city, but we finally went to the concert, and listened to the amazing accapella. Throughout the day, I could tell that Carter was truly happy. He was out of his element, but he was happy. I could tell that he loved being able to have this experience. Finally, we made it home, and we were safely back at the palace.

"Thank you so much for this, Hope." He said, still smiling as we walked through the palace halls.

"Happy Birthday! You really should say hi to your parents. They're probably wondering where you were all day."

"You're right. Wouldn't want them finding out that I happened to be in L.A. pretending to be a normal person while listening to music with the most beautiful girl in the world…"

I smiled to myself. "Because that's our secret, right?"

He nodded yes, and walked me to my room, then went back to his own to prepare for dinner and the party that awaited him at night.

In the following two weeks, so much had happened. Morgan was finally sent home, thankfully, and while I was able to spend time with Carter, I was truly afraid. The Selection was slowly coming to an end. There were only two girls left. Jade and me. Seeing that there were only two girls left only made the process so much more real.

And honestly, I was scared. I knew that my relationship Carter was something I had never experienced before with anyone else, and I could tell that even though I didn't want to, I was falling in love with Carter. Even though I tried to keep my guard up, when I was around him my guard seemed to shatter and fall down when he looked at me with his beautiful, piercing blue eyes. But I couldn't ignore Jade's relationship with him. Even though she was an amazing friend to me, I could tell that their relationship was strong too. Every time I saw her she was always smiling. She looked so in love, so happy. And that scared me. But I needed to trust in Carter.

Today was the day when we would meet with Carter's mom, the Queen; each of us would talk to her alone. No cameras, just candid interviews, candid conversations. I was nervous. I had talked to her before, but always around other people, and never about anything completely serious. But if I were to end up with Carter, she would be my mother in law, and we would have a whole new relationship.

I was sitting in the women's room with Jade as we waited for a guard to bring us up to the Queen. We were both wearing long gowns that shimmered in the light. We wanted to look our best for the Queen. We both knew that this interview was high-stakes.

"Are you nervous?" I asked her, as I saw her fingers trembling.

"You have no idea, Hope." I nodded, looking into her eyes, telling her to go on. "I'm not nervous about my relationship with Carter, I'm nervous about my relationship with her. I'm worried about what she'll ask me."

"How is it going?" We always kept each other up to date with how we were doing so that we knew where we stood, but lately we hadn't talked about it.

"It's good. I've fallen for him, I truly love him." She replied, shyly, looking down at the floor.

I bit my lip, afraid of asking the wrong question. "Have you told him?" Even though I didn't want to know, I couldn't help but ask.

"I told him a couple nights ago." She answered, smiling to herself.

I held my breath. I knew I was falling for Carter, but I hadn't told him anything. He was giving me time, he was being so patient and understanding, but it pained me to hear that Jade's relationship was going much faster than mine. She had already told him that she loved him, and I feared that he loved her back.

When Jade was led out of the room, I was left alone with my thoughts and my worries, waiting for my turn to talk to the Queen.


	16. Chapter 16

**Queen Eadlyn POV:**

I didn't take my son's Selection lightly. He needed to find his wife; he needed to find the perfect girl to be the next Queen. And I wanted the best for him.

After talking to Jade, I felt like Carter had found the perfect girl. She was beautiful, clearly, and she was extremely genuine. I could tell that she meant every word that she said. I could tell that when she talked about Carter, she was so passionate, so clear in what she wanted. She was ready to marry him even if it meant that she was going to become a Princess. She also was able to tell me about her relationship with Carter, she told me that she was in love with him. I was truly happy with her as a person and as a possible daughter.

Then, I had a whole new girl to interview. I sat at my desk waiting for the guard to bring her up to me. She walked in, curtsied, and sat down in front of me.

"Hope, nice to see you again." She smiled, and I could tell that she was nervous. Hope was beautiful; there was no other way to describe it. In a way, she looked like a fairytale angel. Her blonde hair was like a halo that circled her head, with her rosy cheeks and pale skin, and the few freckles that sat on her face. But her eyes were most stunning, captivating. I looked away from her eyes, knowing that we would have to get down to business. She wasn't my daughter yet, neither was Jade. For now, these girls were nothing to me; not yet, at least, not until he made his decision.

"So, as you know, we have some serious topics to talk about. I hate to have to get right to it, but I'm afraid that that's what we'll have to do." She nodded, still smiling nervously. "What's your relationship like with Carter?"

"At first we were just friends. At the beginning of the Selection, I don't think either of us considered the possibility of us being a couple. But as time went on, as things happened, I began to see a whole new side of Carter. We became friends; I helped him get through tough times. The Selection has been tough, and especially so on Carter. And as his friend, I helped him through those problems. I think we grew closer and closer as time went on, and then eventually I realized that I was falling in love with him, and that I couldn't picture my life without him.

"So how do you feel about Carter?"

"He's an amazing person, he really is. He is caring, sweet, fun, smart, everything I want in a husband. Every time I'm with him, I'm so- I'm so happy. I've never met anybody who makes me feel like I do when I'm with him. It's hard to admit, but I think I'm truly falling for him, not because he's a Prince, but because of who he is as a person."

I nodded, reassuring her. I could tell that she truly meant what she was saying. "But he is a Prince. And if you were to marry him, you would have to take the crown as well as the person."

"I know. And that's what's so difficult. If he weren't the Prince, I wouldn't have any doubts about him. None. Saying yes to a proposal would be the easiest thing to do. But becoming a Princess is a big role to take on, and I don't know if I'm worthy of that, and I don't know if I could even fill those shoes. And it's really hard for me to wrap my head around that. It's definitely not the future I had ever imagined for myself."

I nodded again, disappointed with her answer, but understanding. I knew she was a country girl, I knew the idea of being a Princess wasn't an easy one. But I had gotten the information I needed on that front and I felt like I understood her point of view. "How do you feel about the Selection?"

"Clearly it works. For many generations it has led the royal family to find their soul mates, and I don't doubt the process. But as one of the people trying to win Carter's heart, it's hard." She stopped and took a deep breath. "It's hard having to share him with other girls, it's hard seeing him develop other relationships and not know what he's thinking or feeling. It's hard for me to believe in what we have when something he has with another girl could be ten times stronger. It's hard for me to be myself and to not hold back. I want to hold back because I'm scared of being hurt; I'm scared of loosing him." A tear started forming in her eye, and it started rolling down her cheek. "I can't imagine a life without him, Prince or not, and I want to tell him how I feel, I want to let myself fall for him, I want him to know that I do love him. But I'm too scared of getting hurt, I don't want to let myself fall just to be torn apart. " She stopped, composed herself and wiped the tear off her cheek.

"I know it's hard," I replied. I understood her pain; I understood where she was coming from. "He's told me a lot about you, you know. And I think that if you are willing to give up your life for him, I think you would make an amazing Princess. And if you think that what you have is real, you should let yourself fall. You don't want to have any regrets." She smiled, and I could tell that she was a genuine girl. Her smile lit up the room.

I stood up and so did she. I walked around my desk to her, and I gave her a hug.

"Hope, thank you for the conversation." She nodded, curtsied, and left.

After speaking to both the girls, I knew that no matter whom Carter chose, he would have an amazing wife. Both girls were so different, and even though I had a favorite, I just had to wait another week to find out whom he would choose.

 **Carter POV:**

After meeting with Jade and Hope, it was time for my mom to talk to me.

"So how do you feel about each of them?" She asked me.

"They are both so different. Jade is great, and I could see myself marrying her and being happy. She would truly be a perfect wife, and there's no doubt in my mind about that. I know she loves me, and if I chose her, we would be able to have a happy life together. Hope I know is amazing. And everyone loves her. But I don't know what she's feeling. When I'm with her I feel like myself, and I feel safe. But I don't know if she would be willing to accept my life."

She thought about it for a second. "That is part of your decision. Not only are you asking this girl to be your wife, but also you're asking her to be a Queen. And that's a lot to ask."

"I know it is. But I guess it's a package deal. And it's hard not knowing if Jade or Hope would even want to be a part my life, be a part of the royal family. What do you think?"

"I think both would make good Queens. The question is really figuring out where they stand. I don't want to influence your decision, but I'll do all I can to help. I know Jade is all in, she's ready to become part of the royal family, and she's already embracing it. Hope seems to still be holding her guard up. I could tell that the Selection has been hard for her. But she's all in on you, and I think even if it would be harder for her, if it means marrying you, she'd take the crown as well."

"That's true. Jade is an open book, and I know exactly what she's feeling. I know a lot less about where Hope stands. I know that she has had a hard time letting her guard down, and letting herself fall in love. And I know that the crown scares her, but I need to know where she stands."

"You have a very hard decision to make. I'll me more than happy with either of your choices. Follow your heart, Carter."

I left my mom's office still with so many questions in my mind. There was so much more I needed to know, so many more questions to which I wanted answers. But with the end so near, the Selection felt so much more real. I was finding my wife. And it wasn't a game anymore, it was reality, and it was happening. I had to make a decision.

I had one more date with each of the girls, one last time to see them officially before the proposal. And I was scared honestly. I was scared of making the wrong decision, choosing the wrong person.

After three days, I had my last date with Hope. The next day I would have my last date with Jade. Then I wouldn't see them for the rest of the week. Then I would propose.

I was meeting Hope in the Great Hall. As I walked into the room, I saw her standing, back facing me. I stopped at the doorway, watching her, soaking in the moment. She was so beautiful, standing in the light. I walked up behind her quietly without letting her hear me. As soon as I was close enough, I picked her up by the waist, startling her. She shrieked as I twirled her around.

"Carter!" she exclaimed as I put her back down on the floor. I kissed softly, "I missed you" she said, hugging me, resting her head on my chest while looking up into my eyes. Her eyes sparkled as she spoke.

"I missed you too." I said, holding her close to me.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"I'm good. I'm happy to be here with you." I replied, kissing the top of her head.

"So what are we doing today?"

"I was thinking that we could go back to the stables and go horseback riding. What do you think?"

"Perfect." She answered, smiling widely.

 **Hope POV:**

Carter brought me to the stables and we both found our usual horses. I found my palomino mare, and he found his black stallion. We tacked up our horses and led them to the mounting dock.

As Carter mounted, I watched him. He was so poised yet so comfortable. He was so obviously a Prince. Even when his style was messy, and his outfit was more laid back, he still looked like royalty, there was no escaping it. He was so comfortable with his life, and he was so at peace with his job and the things he had to go through. I leaned onto the side of my palomino mare, and watched him.

He leaned forward in his saddle so that he could reach his stallion's ears. "Hey buddy," he said, speaking quietly, almost at a whisper as he spoke into his ear, but it was just loud enough so that I could hear. "This is a really important day for me. There's a girl I really like over there that I really need to impress, so it would be really great if you could support me today. "

I giggled, a bit too loudly. As Carter turned to look towards me, I turned around to mount.

We walked around the grounds of the palace, through the gardens and the small forests.

"It's so bizarre to think that the Selection is ending." I said quietly as we walked along a path.

"It is. It feels like it just started yesterday, and now it's almost over."

"It's really too bad. Especially for you. In a week you'll only have one girlfriend." I said, playfully, laughing quietly.

He smiled brightly. "I know. I don't know how I'm going to survive without multiple people competing for my heart."

"The Prince is upset because he can only chose one of his 35 girlfriends to live with him in his palace for the rest of his life. What a hard life you have, sir. My heart goes out to you."

He made a face at me, trying to hold back his laughter. "This is really the perfect day" he said, looking at me. When he looked at me, he just made me feel better about the Selection. He made me feel so good, he made me feel so calm, and so comfortable.

"But seriously," I asked. "Are you nervous?" Our horses walked side by side, nickering occasionally.

"Well it's hard to really process the fact that it's all coming to an end. And then it's also hard to imagine that I'm going to have to choose a wife. I'm so nervous, to be honest."

"You should be. I bet it's not easy having to choose between two girls. It must be almost impossible to think of having to find a wife, making the right decision."

He stayed silent. It was an awkward pause, but an awkward topic as well. We kept walking until we reached a hill from which we could see out into the forest that laid ahead of us.

"This is beautiful." I said, looking around.

"Like you." He responded, smiling cheekily.

I rolled my eyes at him as he chuckled.

I loved spending time with Carter, but it was more awkward than usual. I really didn't understand why, but I knew it was because it was near the end. It was our last date together before the proposals. And honestly I was scared. I felt like I was putting my guard back up, even though I didn't want to. I couldn't help it; I wanted to protect myself from being hurt.

We finished out horseback ride and put the horses away, and then we went back to the palace for dinner. Right next to the gardens, a picnic blanket had been set up.

As we finished eating, I could tell that our night was ending, and it just made me more nervous. We were both laying on the ground, looking up at the stars.

"Carter. I just wanted to say thank you for having me in the Selection. I've had such an amazing time getting to know you, and it was truly amazing."

"I'm so glad it turned out the way it did." He leaned down and kissed me softly.

"I'm sorry about today. Honestly, I'm scared. I just don't want this to end." I explained, looking into his eyes. "I don't want to get hurt, and I'm subconsciously putting my guard back up, and I didn't want this to happen, but I let it, and-"

He kissed me again, interrupting me.

"I'm so sorry. And I don't want to see you get hurt, and I just need you to trust me. But where are you at? What are you feeling right now?" he asked, looking into my eyes with his ice-blue eyes that I couldn't ever get enough of. I thought for a couple minutes before responding.

"The last couple weeks have been really good between you and I. And especially with me, being more comfortable here, figuring everything out. I was thinking back, and I was thinking if it was the situation, the place I've been put in that led us up to this moment, and everything that's happened between us ever since." I stopped again, pausing.

I continued talking as he watched me. "I've been extremely skeptical about this, but I believe that everything happens for a reason, and I think that when you find your person, why hold back? And it doesn't matter if he's a Prince or a farmer, rich or poor, all that matters is that he's my person. And when I look at you, I think that this is somebody that I could be with forever."

He kissed me again, and put his arms around me. And lying there with him next to me, I felt so safe, so comfortable.

"I should really go. I'll miss you." I said, looking up into his eyes.

"Thank you, Hope." He replied, kissing me one last time before I left him. Every time I was with Carter, I was reminded about how great it is. I loved talking with him, I loved being around him, and it could be the beginning of forever. After our conversation, I felt a lot more confident about our relationship, but I was still nervous. I was all in, and there was no way of telling if my heart would be broken or not.

Even though I was so happy when I was around Carter, there was still another girl here, and I couldn't tell what they had. I couldn't tell what was going on between them; I couldn't tell if what they had was stronger than what we had. And even though I didn't want to be nervous, I couldn't help myself. I was genuinely scared out of my mind. I didn't want to loose Carter. And even if he did propose, then I would become a Princess. And that genuinely scared me too. But honestly, I would do anything for Carter, and I would just hope that he knew that. I didn't tell him that, I didn't directly tell him my feelings. I didn't tell him that I was falling in love with him, and he didn't say anything back. We didn't know where each other stood. But it was truly scary. I had to wait 4 more days before the proposal. And in 4 days I would either be engaged or heartbroken.


	17. Chapter 17

Jade POV:

Today was my day with Carter. My last date with him. My last chance to see him before he would propose. He had his date yesterday with Hope, and that was the last time he would see her before then. And today would be the last time he would see me. And to be honest, it was truly hard for me to imagine him having a better connection or relationship with anyone else. Our relationship was strong and steady. And I was ready to become his Queen.

At dinnertime, I changed into a dress and went to go find Carter. It was dark outside, and light poured through the windows as I walked through the corridors. I found Carter in the Great Hall. He was wearing black pants with a white shirt and a black vest. As I walked into the room, he watched me. I walked to him and kissed him. He wrapped his arms around me, his hands against my bare back.

He pulled away, and he looked at me, smiling. "Jade." He said softly, his handsome eyes staring into mine.

"Carter." I replied, smiling back at him, enjoying the moment we were sharing.

Soon after, he looked towards the door. "I have something to show you." He said, smiling mysteriously. He took my hand and led me out the door and up a set of stairs. He led me to a balcony and opened the door. As he opened it, a rush of cool night air poured out and made me shiver. He led me out, and kissed me softly.

He nodded towards the gardens that were beneath and in front of us. I took his hand once again and looked over the edge of the balcony. As I looked down, I gasped. Beneath us, illuminated by candles, burning bright in the dark was my name, surrounded by a heart.

I looked from the lights to Carter, then back to the lights.

"It's amazing." I said with disbelief.

He kissed me again, taking my breath away. It was surreal and beautiful. It was so amazing that he had done that for me, it was so romantic, thoughtful, and amazing.

We admired the lights for a little longer, than we headed back inside.

"Thank you, Carter." I said, squeezing his hand as we walked back through the palace.

We then went to the Great Hall where a table with two chairs had been set up. We went and sat down, and Carter spoke to me first.

"So Jade. Normally I would want to give you an extravagant date, with the most amazing plans for the most amazing girl. But if we get engaged in three days, we'll have eternity to do amazing things together. So I wanted to take advantage of our time together and just sit, and talk."  
I watched him, smiling. He was so happy, and I was genuinely happy to. While I liked doing extravagant things, I'd do anything that he wanted to do. "That sounds perfect."

We started eating and talking, and as we ate, I could just think of how we could spend every night like this, together.

"So where are you at? What are you feeling right now?" He asked.

"I'm happy. I'm happy that I took this chance, that I decided to do this, because if I hadn't I would have never met you. And right now, that possibility seems unimaginable. I feel amazing when I'm with you, and I think that I'm ready to be Princess, I'm ready to be a Queen, I'm ready to become a wife, so long as I'm with you." He kissed me, leaning in and pressing his lips against mine.

I pulled away. "Carter, you're everything I've ever wanted, and I think that I can genuinely say without being nervous, without being scared, that I love you. And I know that you can't say it back, but I love you Carter. I have no doubts in my mind, and I know that we were meant to be together."

He smiled again, and when he looked at me, I could tell that he was feeling the same emotions as I was.

The night ended too soon, when it did, Carter walked me back to my room. In front of my door, he kissed me one last time.

"I love you Carter." I said, for the last time until the proposals. I smiled again, and left.

I was upset to see him go, but I knew it wouldn't be long before I saw him again. I knew Hope was still an option for him, I knew that there was a small, small possibility that he would choose her instead of me. But I didn't let that stop me. It was hard to commit to somebody that could possibly have feelings for someone else, but I will be shocked if something got in the way of the relationship that Carter and I have built. When I look at him, I just see the man I want to marry. I have no doubts, no regrets. I'm ready to be his wife, I'm ready to be his Princess, and I'm ready to be his Queen, and there is no doubt in my mind that that is going to become a reality.

Carter POV:

After the last two dates with Jade and Hope, I was torn. I had such good relationships with both of them. They were so different. I couldn't even compare them. They were each amazing, each unique, each beautiful inside and out. And I could picture my life with both of them. The purpose of this was to find true love. But what if I had two true loves?

I knew that by proposing to one, I would be sending home a girl who didn't deserve it. And I was truly torn. I couldn't go to anyone for help. Nobody could make this decision but me. I felt like the two girls I had were too good to choose from. I didn't want to make the wrong decision, and I felt so much pressure to make the right decision. Not only for me, but for my family and for all of Ilea.

Trying to choose between those two girls was impossible. What if I couldn't choose? There was also the possibility of not choosing anyone. I didn't have to propose to one of them. I didn't have to propose at all. I could marry a Princess from another country. That was still an option.

Four months ago I would have never imagined I would fine myself in this position. My heart split in half, torn between two girls. And it was hard.

Jade was so sweet, so caring, so kind. And I knew where she stood. She had told me she loved me, and that meant the world. I knew a life with her would be perfect. She was the wife I had always wanted. I was sure in her. I was sure that if I proposed to her, she would be happy, and I would be happy. There's no doubt in my mind.

Hope and I had a different relationship. She wasn't perfect. But that's what I loved about her. She was really genuine, and I would have never expected to see myself with someone like her. But she truly made me feel like myself. She was a lot less open with her feelings. I knew that she would want to be with me, but I didn't know if she could accept me for the person I am, and the person I am to Ilea; a Prince. I didn't know if it was too much to ask her to become a Princess.

Jade or Hope, Hope or Jade. I had two days left to choose.

Jade POV:

Hope and I were friends. We knew that one of us would marry him and one of us would be heart broken, but we agreed that we would be happy for each other no matter what. Even though there was a lot of tension, we were still friends. Three days before the proposals, we could only see each other. We couldn't see Carter. We had two entire days to spend together, and I was happy that it was with her. I was especially glad that it wasn't Morgan there instead.

We spent our days practicing for the proposals. Silvia forced both of us to review the exact things that would happen so that the day would be perfect. Over and over again, we would review the exact program. There would be cameras everywhere. I was nervous about that part, but I would have to get used to being in the spotlight all the time as a princess. But I knew the cameras wouldn't matter once I saw Carter. Once I saw him, everything would be okay.

We were fitted for dresses. Hope and I did everything together during those 48 hours. Both of our dresses were gorgeous. We sat around with Sierra and talked about the Selection. We talked about the funny parts, the sad parts, and we really connected. I felt bad that he would have to send Hope home. She was too naïve, too sweet and too pretty for her own good. I would miss her, and I would feel her pain. But I honestly couldn't wait for Carter to ask me to marry him.

Carter POV:

I couldn't sleep the night before. My mind was full of thoughts. Tomorrow was the last day of the Selection. I would propose to one of the two amazing girls, Jade or Hope. I was scared. I was scared of choosing the wrong girl, I was afraid she would say no. I wasn't just asking her to marry me, I was asking her to become a Princess. And I knew that that was a lot to ask of either of the two ladies.

I had gone over the procedure an endless amount of times with Gavril and the directors of The Report so that everything would go perfectly. The girls had also been practicing separately.

I would wait for each one of the ladies to come to me. It needed to be perfect. Even though she didn't know whom I was going to chose, Sierra helped me chose the decorations; white roses. The first girl, whoever she was, would first go to Gavril in the Great Hall, who would talk to her. Then she would follow the trail of flowers that would lead to me.

Then, it would be just me and her, and the cameras. I was going to have a glass table, tall and thin with a tiara sitting on top of it. I would give the tiara to the girl I was going to propose to. The tiara symbolized Ilea and my heart. If I was going to propose, then I would, giving her the tiara. If I were going to send her home, I would have to do that. That girl would leave, and then the next girl would arrive.

It was so simple, yet it seemed so complicated.

In the morning, I stayed in my room. I knew my mind should already have been made up, but I just couldn't think. Eventually I would have too choose.

After a couple hours, I went out of my room and down to the jeweler's section of the palace. Yesterday I had picked out the perfect ring. I went down to the bottom of the palace to pick up the ring. It was a stunning ring. So intricate. It had two strings of silver wrapped around each other with small diamonds woven into it. The two ends connected in a diamond. On both sides of the diamond were small green emeralds, to match her eyes. But they both had green eyes. I still didn't know whom to choose. My heart was so torn.

Having the ring made everything seem so much more real. This was happening; there was no going back.

Sierra came in to help me get ready, and I was so thankful to have her to help me.

"You ready to find your Princess?" she asked teasingly.

"Stop it!" I said, giving her a comically stern look.

"Okay, okay," she replied. "But honestly, stop stressing. You'll figure it out."

I nodded, looking at my feet. I gave her a hug. I didn't want to let her go, but I knew I needed to get ready. After she left, I put on my suit. My black pants were perfectly pressed, perfectly colored, and perfectly tailored for me. I put on my white button-up shirt, and then put on my thin black tie. I put on the jacket to my suit, and then looked at myself in the mirror. I tried to imagine both of girls standing next to me. I tried to imagine sending each one of them home, and I tried to imagine which I couldn't imagine living my life without.

And with that, I made my choice. No doubts. No regrets. She was perfect for Ilea, perfect for me, and I knew that I would never ever let her go, that I would love her forever.

I brushed my hair back quickly, and then I went over to the table where a small crown was waiting for me. I put it on, adjusting it so that it wouldn't fall off.

I looked at myself one last time, then I took the little black box with the ring inside of it in my hand. I held it, gripping it different ways, holding it as if it were my future. Then I put it in the pocket of my pants and left my room.

I went to see my parents. I knew that as soon as I left my room, cameras would be following my every move. Once I left my room, I couldn't be nervous, I would have to hide my emotions and replace them with others. But it didn't matter; nothing could change today, nothing could make me feel any differently. My parents were waiting for me in the Great Hall. They were both dressed as nicely as I was. I walked up to them and gave them each a hug.

"Carter. You look so handsome." Said my mother, smiling at me. My father nodded to me, smiling as well. Then I went over to Gavril who was waiting to interview me.

"Gavril." I said, walking up to him. He greeted me with a warm gesture.

"Carter. So glad to see you. As always, a pleasure." I smiled to him, doing my best to ignore all the cameras that were circling us.

"The Selection is ending. It's no doubt that it's been one of the most eventful Selection. Do you have any regrets? Any sadness?"

"I have no regrets. I wouldn't have changed a thing. I believe that it was all worth it."

"How do you feel about the two remaining ladies?"

"They are both amazing women. And it's going to be tough, sending one of them home. It's something I don't want to do. But I'm ready to propose, I'm ready for this to end, I'm ready to be with one woman for the rest of my life."

He smiled again, proudly, so I must have said something right.

"I wish you the best of luck, You Majesty." He said, shaking my hand again. He extended his arm, showing me down a passageway. It was lined with roses, and it was beautiful. I had chosen the perfect spot to propose. One that meant so much to both of us. I walked to the rooftop, following the path of white roses that had been put out, and I couldn't help but smile and shake at the same time. I was so happy yet so nervous.

As I got to the roof, the view was breathtaking. The flowers that were everywhere were perfect. I followed a path of white brick that was laid out to a garden that was set up. A square of white brick was surrounded by grass. The grass was surrounded by rose bushes. On the white brick there was a tall glass table. On that table was a tiara. It was the tiara that I would give to the woman I wanted to marry; the tiara I would give to the next Princess of Ilea. I took a deep breath, and then went to the edge of the roof. I leaned over, admiring the view. The sun was going to set. It was going to set in a little over an hour. I took another deep breath, and then went back to the brick square. I stood in the middle of the white brick square, and took yet another deep breath.. Then I awaited the first girl.

I know I'll be happy after this, but good-bye is the hardest thing I'm going to have to do. It's the worst feeling in the world knowing you have to say goodbye to a women that doesn't deserve it. But I really needed to take it this far to figure it out.

Jade POV:

The day was perfect. My brown hair was tied into a tight bun, perfectly. My long, light pink dress was perfect. My makeup was perfect. And I was confident.

Before I knew it, I found myself in the Great Hall, talking to Gavril.

"Jade. Good to see you." He said with a strait face.

I gave him a hug. "Good to see you too." I replied.

"Well, Carter is waiting for you right that way. Good luck." He said.

I nodded then went in the direction he pointed in as cameras swirled around me. The path I followed was filled with white roses, and it was truly beautiful. I took deep breaths, taking in the moment.

I was as prepared for this moment as much as I could be. The confidence that I had came from my love for Carter, and my confidence that he loved me.

I followed the path that led me to the roof. I quickly found Carter. As soon as I saw him, my nerves calmed down immediately. I saw him, handsome as ever, and I saw the tiara sitting right beside him. It was the tiara that I so desperately wanted, so desperately craved. I remembered everything Silvia had taught me, and I followed her procedure to the millimeter.

I walked to him, and I wrapped my arms around him, hugging him close to me.

"Jade, you look beautiful." He said softly.

"Thank you." I replied, watching him, looking for signs that would tell me that he wouldn't propose, but I saw none. I stood in front of him.

Now it was my turn to talk.

"When I woke up today, I was thinking about this whole process. How we started talking with no expectations and how quickly things turned into something more. And every moment I've spent with you here has been better than I could have ever expected. It was so crazy. But at the same time, thinking about standing here in the first place is crazy too. But I love you. When I look at you, I just see how much I love you. I have so much confidence in you, and I have so much confidence in us. You mean so much to me. I'm not ready to let you go. I'm not ready to let us go. Because I am in love with you. And I am yours forever if you'll have me."

Carter POV:

Her speech was so heartfelt, so genuine. I looked at the view to my left, not letting myself look into her eyes.

I clenched my hands in my pocket, and I took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry." I said, still not looking. I couldn't bear to look at her. I didn't want to hurt her. I glanced into her eyes. She looked so nervous. My eyes started watering; I couldn't help it. "I want to say that something went wrong with our relationship through all of this. But it's not true. I can't find a good explanation. Our relationship was amazing. Everything that happened between us was real." Tears started forming in her eyes as they did in my own. I could feel her heart hurt. I could sense her pain. I tried to explain to her how I felt; I tried to give her a reason. But no words could explain what I was feeling. "You hold such a special place in my heart. And it truly tears me apart to have to say goodbye to you. The only thing I can say is that my heart is with someone else. I don't regret any of it. I don't take any of it back. What we had in those moments were real-"

"What I felt for you was greater than a moment." She said, cutting me off in a soft but icy voice. Hearing her say that tore me apart, I felt my heart being wrenched at every one of her syllables. A tear rolled down her cheek.

"I'm so sorry." I said, not knowing what to say. "I know you'll find an amazing husband, and it frustrates me to think that it's not going to be me. I honestly don't even know how to say good-bye to you."

More tears rolled down her cheeks, and I felt tears at mine. She fell into my arms, hugging me tightly. She buried her face in my shoulder. She let go of me, nodded once, and left me. With every step that she took, getting further and further away from me, I felt my heart shattering into more and more pieces. I knew there were cameras watching my every move. I left my white-brick area and went to the edge of the roof. I started crying, not controlling my emotions anymore.

I buried my face into my hands, wiping my tears away.

Saying good-bye to Jade was one of the hardest things I'd ever had to do. It tore me apart. It truly hurt. I didn't want to have to say good-bye. We had such a strong connection; our relationship was completely serious. But I had to. I knew it would all be worth it when I saw Hope.


	18. Chapter 18

**Hi everyone! I know that I haven't posted in a while, but I am back with plenty of new, dramatic ideas for the next portion of Hope and Carter's story.**

 **Thank you so much for reading, and reviewing!**

I woke up the next morning, slowly waking up from my deep sleep. As I did, I came to my senses. I remembered the night before; I slowly remembered everything that had happened. As my eyes fluttered open, I smiled to myself.

I felt a warm feeling on my neck. I realized that it was Carter. I felt his arms shift. They were wrapped around my waist. And wrapped in his tight embrace, surrounded by his strong, warm arms, I felt safe, and I felt loved. I felt him kiss my neck again. I touched his arm and felt his embrace loosen. I rolled over so that I could face him. He smiled once again as I saw him. His hair was as messy as ever, but he looked so handsome.

"Good morning, Prince Charming" I said. He smiled, and pressed his forehead to mine.

"Good morning, beautiful." He replied. I reached up to my face to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. Instead, as I reached to my head, I hit my forehead with the ring that was on my finger.

As I did, Carter and I both started laughing. "Stopppp," I said while I continued to laugh. "That really hurt!" Carter leaned in and kissed my head right where I had hit myself.

"Do you like it?" he asked.

"It's beautiful." I put my hand out in front of us so that we could admire the piece of jewelry. As I admired it, I realized that I would be wearing that ring forever. I remembered the proposal, the things he said were so beautiful, so amazing.

"Last night was surreal. I still can't believe it actually happened."

"Yeah. It's going to be all over the television networks. So we get to rewatch it over and over again." He said happily.

I groaned. "I'm never going to get used to being in the spotlight. I still have no idea how you do it."

"You have nothing to worry about. Everyone already loves you as much as I do."

I smiled and leaned over to kiss him.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. I rolled into his arms, and he put his arms back around me.

At that moment, we heard a knock on the door. I sighed again. I got out of the bed and put on the robe that was in the bathroom. I walked to the door and opened it, letting in Carter's butler. He bowed to me, and entered. With that, I left the room and went back to my own room. I didn't want to leave, but I knew I would have to eventually, and Carter's butler would keep him busy with work anyway.

When I got there, I got ready for the day, with my maid helping me, fluttering around me, so happy to be with me, so happy that I wouldn't be leaving the palace, ever. I wore a long, light purple dress that was absolutely gorgeous. My hair was left down, but my maids braided some sections, pinned some back, and it looked beautiful. Once I was ready for the day, I left my room and went out to the Great Hall. My short heels clicked against the corridor floors, and as I walked, I started to think about how I would forever live in those walls. When I was younger, I would have never imagined myself living in a place like that, in a beautiful palace, and nor had I ever wanted that. And I didn't think I wanted that anyways. But it didn't matter. I loved Carter and it didn't matter if loving him meant living in an alley or in a palace, because I just wanted to be with him, Prince or not.

When I got to the Great Room, two butlers opened the doors in front of me, and as they opened, I saw a group of people all clustered before me. As the doors opened, they all stopped their conversations and turned to look at me, and clapped. I smiled humbly, and I walked forward. I knew that over time, I would get to know everyone in the room. They were mostly just the important people from the Ilean government. I noticed the cameras that were conveniently place throughout the room, and I made sure to stand up a little taller and to act more poised. I passed through the room, greeting people as I walked. Everyone who talked to me was smiling, and they were so happy to see me, to talk to me, and I was so honored.

At one side of the room stood the King and the Queen. I walked up to them and curtsied. They both smiled to me.

"It's an honor," I said. They kept smiling.

"As it is for us," replied Carter's father. I couldn't help but notice how alike they look. They both had the same blonde hair and the same petrifying blue eyes. "Congratulations, Hope. I know this Selection was hard for you and Carter both, but I couldn't be more happy with the outcome." I couldn't help but smile widely, I was so happy to have earned their congrats.

I Queen leaned over and hugged me, and as she did she whispered to me so that the cameras couldn't pick up the sound. "Don't worry, we will talk in a more relaxed setting when the cameras are gone" she said quietly. She winked as she pulled away and smiled again. At that moment, I felt someone tap at my shoulder. I turned my head and saw a girl with bright red hair.

She curtsied before her parents and pulled me away to another part of the room.

"Hope. I can't believe it. I told you that you would win."

I rolled my eyes at her and we both laughed together.

"You realize that we're going to be sisters, right?" she said happily. I could tell that she was ecstatic. "Oh Hope. You guys are so perfect together. You can Carter are the best couple ever." I felt my cheeks get pink, and I looked back over my shoulder, trying to scan the room for the Prince of Ilea, trying to spot him amidst the crowd. I couldn't find any words to say, though. "I haven't seen him today either" said Sierra, reading my mind. "I actually have no idea where he is. He's supposed to be here right now" All I wanted to do was see him, talk to him, kiss him, but I had to stay at the party. "You should really go talk to more of the advisors, I'll keep an eye out for Carter." I nodded, and I gave her a hug, and went to go mingle with the people.

People introduced themselves to me, they hugged me, they shook my hand, and everyone wanted to talk to me. And while I loved getting to know more people, socializing, there was no one I wanted to talk to more than Carter.

After some time, Sierra came and found me once again. She pulled me away from the military general.

"Hope. Somebody's waiting for you outside." She squeezed my hands, and winked. I hugged her and went outside of the Great Hall.

As I opened the door, I made sure that no cameras were following me, and I turned to face outwards. I looked to the right and saw the most handsome man in the world standing before me. When I saw him, I felt butterflies in my stomach. I started walking towards him. I wanted to run, but I didn't want to trip over my long dress. He walked towards me, stepping forward one foot at a time.

We came together, and as we did, I fell into him arms. I hugged him, putting my head on his chest as he put his chin on my head. I didn't want to let go, I never wanted to leave him strong, safe, protective embrace.

"I missed you." He said.

I looked up at him, into his deep blue eyes that I could never get enough of. He traced my jaw line with his finger, and he leaned over to kiss me.

"I still can't believe this is a reality." I whispered. He chuckled softly. "Take me away Carter. I just can't talk to another important governmental person, I can't." He chuckled again, and kissed me. I pulled away too soon, and he gave me a questioning look.

"Cameras," I replied, sighing.

"Ah." He said, understandingly.

"I'm sorry for not being there for you." He replied apologetically. He took my hand, and turned so we could start walking away from the Great Hall, together. "I have a surprise for you, though." He said mysteriously.

We kept walking, as he continued talking. "As much as I want to keep you to myself, I think there are some people that you would want to see…" I narrowed my eyebrows at him questioningly.

He led me to a room, opened the door, and showed me through. When I saw what was in there, my heart stopped.

In front of me sat my three brothers. I ran into their arms as they gathered around me.

"Andy! Will! James! What are you guys doing here?"

"Your Prince flew us in right after the proposal aired on TV." Said Andy, smiling. I looked back at Carter who was leaning against the door, smiling as well. I mouthed a silent thank you back to him, and I continued to greet my siblings.

"Where's Dad?" I asked.

"He couldn't come, he's really busy back at home and couldn't take the time off of work. But he told us to tell you that he misses you."

I felt my eyes start to tear up, but my brothers snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Show us the metal, Hope! Let's see it," they said. I smiled and put my hand in front of me so that they all could see it.

"Impressive. The boy did good." Said Andy. I felt Carter come up behind me as he put an arm around my waist. "And that proposal speech, Carter, A+ rating for it. You need to give me some advice, you know; man to man." They both laughed, and I was so happy to have my brothers and my fiancé with me.

Carter turned to me and spoke. "Hope, I have to go talk to those ministers that you saw earlier, but I'll see you later, I promise." He kissed my cheek and left.

I was sad to see him go, but I was still so happy to have my brothers with me. "Guys, let's go upstairs." I said, leading them up to my room.

As we walked, they told me about what was new in the village, what my father wanted them to tell me.

"So it looks like you're going to be a Princess, Hope." Said Andy, once we arrived. Will and James both threw themselves onto my nicely made bed, wrinkling it. I climbed up and sat on my pillow, and Andy sprawled himself out on the other end.

"I actually hadn't really thought about that at all…" I replied, thinking.

"You'll be a good Princess. And if ever you need a break, you can just hand over the reigns to one of us and we'll take over as Princesses for some time until you're done with your break." I laughed at the thought of my brothers in full princess regalia, tiaras, dresses and all. "But actually, we'll help you, and I know Carter will help you. He's a good guy."

I nodded. "I know he is."

"Are you happy with him?" asked Andy, not being afraid to ask the hard questions.

"I am. I love him; I really do. It's not him that I'm worried about; it's the part about being a Princess and a Queen that really worries me. You guys like him, right?"

He chuckled. "Nobody's good enough for you, Hope." I rolled my eyes at my over-protective brother. "But yes. I genuinely think that if he loves you and you love him, and if you guys are happy together, then I'm happy as well."

"Thank you." I replied. I was happy to know that my brothers were supportive of my future husband. My family's opinion meant the world to me.

"And I know he does love you. I can tell by the way he looks at you." I smiled thinking of Carter. "And I don't think there's anyone else who would make a better Millington brother-in-law."

"Yeah, he may be the prince, but he can keep up with us. I like that about him." Said Will, chiming into the conversation.

"When are you guys thinking of actually getting married?" asked Andy.

"We haven't really thought about it. Everything kind of happened so quickly. I suppose it won't be too long." I replied.

"You realize that being married to a future King literally requires you to have kids, right? I'm pretty sure it's a law." Stated Andy again with a devious smile.

I tried to kick him, but he was too far away from me, so I couldn't actually reach him with my leg.

"How are you and Grace doing?" I asked Andy, making him talk about his own relationship status.

"We're good. We're really good." He replied. "I was actually thinking of proposing sometime soon. I'm actually going to need some serious help from your fiancé for this one… I'm not good at that kind of thing."

"Wait for real? You are going to propose to her?" I replied, opening my eyes with excitement. I knew that Andy and Grace were close and that they had been dating for a long time, but I never would have expected it. They did make such a good couple, and it was so obvious that they were meant to be together. He nodded.

"Well, I'm sure Carter would be willing to help. While you're at it, you should ask him to prewrite your wedding vows. Or are you going to come up with those yourself?" I asked sarcastically as Andy rolled his bright green eyes back at me. "But seriously, I'm so happy for you."

He smiled once again.

"So I take it paradise with you and the Prince is going smoothly so far." Said Will, rolling until he came up next to me.

"It's only been a day, silly. But yes. Definitely. Speaking of which, how long are you all going to be here?"

"We're actually leaving this afternoon. We have to get back home before tomorrow… work and everything." Replied Andy.

"But home is so far away. And can't the family of the fiancée live next to the palace? That's what happened during the last Selection. You guys could all come here!" I exclaimed.

They all three stayed silent. I looked from one to the next, wondering what they were thinking.

"That's not wrong… But Hope… We could never live here. This just isn't who we are. We need to be back home, working, doing what Millington's do best. We're country boys, there's no evading it. The only thing pulling us here is you. And the only reason you're here is Carter. You need to stay, we need to go home."

Now it was my turn to stay silent. They weren't wrong. Millington's didn't belong in palaces. "You guys will come visit though, right? And you'll call every day. Princess's orders."

"Yes m'am." Replied Andy, giving a hand signal. "And actually I think we nee to start heading back home if we want to get back by tomorrow." My smile turned. I was so happy to see them, but so sad to see them go.

"Thanks for coming. It means a lot." I smiled again, not wanting to part with my brothers.

"Anything for you, my Princess." Replied Will, hugging my tightly. I hugged each one as if it was my last chance to, and they were gone as quickly as they had come.

I went back to the couch, sitting, processing everything that was happening. It was a whirlwind of happiness, a whirlwind of life-changing events.

Then, Stella, my maid, came into my room. "Hope, the Queen is requesting your presence in her office!" She said happily. "I don't know what it means, but you're telling me all about it when you come back!" I smiled, sighed, got up, and went to go meet the Queen.

I knew where the Queen's office was, but I had only been there once before. That time was before the proposal, when we had our one on one meeting. I was nervous, just like the first time. But I was happy. Nothing could have ruined my happiness.

Once I arrived, I knocked twice on the door, and I poked my head in. The Queen was sitting at her desk. She smiled when she saw me and motioned for me to come in. As I walked to her desk, she got up to greet me. She gave me a warm hug, and told me to sit in front of her.

"I'm sorry about this morning. I probably should have warned you about the party and the cameras. It was a little bit much for your first day on the job." She chuckled. "So he chose you. Thoughts?" She smiled back at me.

"To be honest," I replied, "it's terrifying and crazy and surreal and I don't even know what to think." She laughed again.

"Well yes. But I think you guys are genuinely good for each other. And the proposal was beautiful. It'll be on TV for a couple months at least. Everyone could tell that you both truly love each other."

"It's crazy to think that people will be watching and rewatching everything I do…"

"Yes, it'll take a while to get used to it. But you will," she explained. She watched me for some time.

"Hope. He really loves you, you know. I think it's impossible not to. There's something about you that makes people want to be around you. I don't know what it is; but if you could teach it to me…" We both laughed. "Well, to get to business, I invited you here firstly to welcome you to the family. Secondly, as you are joining the family, you get to join the work as well. I know Sierra will help teach you, and so I'll give you your first assignment. In a week, the Italian royal family will be visiting. So, your job is to make arrangements and to prepare."

I nodded, silently thanking the world for Sierra. There was no way I could do this alone. "I'll work on it right away."

"Good." She replied, straightening up in her chair. "Also, on a less serious note, as your new mother-in-law, I just wanted you to know that if you need anything, you can always come to me. Family comes first." We both smiled and I curtsied, then took the documents she had given me and left.

I quickly put the documents in my room, then went to the dining room for dinner, to which I was already late. Once I arrived, few people greeted me. Sierra and Noah were both eating, and a few advisors were eating as well, but no one else was in the room. I joined Sierra and Noah who were both happy to see me.

"So I hear we've got work to do." Said Sierra. I made a face which made both of the siblings laugh. "Don't worry, we'll get it done in no time at all. It looks harder to do than it actually is. It'll be a breeze."

"Let's hope so" I replied.

After dinner, I quickly retreated to the Princess's sweet. All of my things had been moved there that day, and they had all been placed in the same spots as they had been in my old room. My new room was huge. It was so much longer and wider, and my bed was so much more regal. I had even discovered a walk-in closet almost the size of my actually room back in my father's house. But best of all, the room had a secret corridor connecting my room to Carter's. I went over to my desk, and looked at the framed pictures that sat there. I remembered the first time Carter had asked me about them. He asked me about each one, why each one was important to me. The first one was of me when I was younger with my mom and my dad. We were so happy. That picture was taken two years before her death. We were so happy then, and it was the one good picture I had left of her. I just recently realized now how similar we looked. We had the same faces, the same blonde hair. But I clearly had my father's piercing green eyes. I missed them both so much. I missed being able to talk to either one of them, being around them. I would have given anything to relive any one moment when my mother was alive.

The next picture was of my brothers and me. I remember the day that the picture was taken. We were all playing volleyball, and we had just beaten the opposite team. My three brothers lifted me up and help me high above their heads. We were all smiling, we were all so happy. I missed them already. The third picture was of my school friends and I. It wasn't that old of a picture, and we were lined up, arms around each other, smiling but also posing for the picture. They had written me letters throughout the whole process, but I felt so far away from them all. I wondered if I would ever see any of them again. Everything was different; my whole life had changed so suddenly. The last picture was of my best friend, Olivia and me. In the picture, I was making the funniest face immginable, with one eye closed, one open and my tongue sticking out. Liv was right next to me, kissing my cheek. I missed her like crazy. Until the selection, we had been inseparable. We were so different, yet so compatible. She was always there for me to rely on, always a shoulder for me to cry on. I smiled when I thought of her, and just knowing that she was still there for me. I wondered what everyone back home thought of me, of the Selection, of Carter.

But there was still one picture left. This picture was my newest addition to my collection. I had asked one of the Report producers to get it for me. It was a picture of me and Carter. It was the moment right after he had proposed to me, right after he had put the ring on my finger. Then he had gotten up, wrapped his arms around me, and kissed me. And that was the moment that was captured. I picked up the picture. I smiled again. He looked the handsome, in his suit, his smile illuminated by the sunset, both of our hair shining in the sun. I relived the moment, smiling to myself.

All of a sudden, I felt someone wrap an arm around my waist, coming up to me from behind. I recognized the strong, safe embrace of my prince as he pressed his lips to my neck, kissing it softly.

"Hey Princess," he whispered softly. I smiled at his words, at his touch.

"Hey handsome," I replied, turning around to face him. His hair was messy, and for once, while mine was tied up. His blue eyes stared back at mine. He was a real life prince charming, he really was. And he was mine. "I love you." I said.

I put my arms around the back of his neck and I pulled him towards me so that I could kiss him. I leaned into him, and kissed him. He pulled away too soon, but kissed me back, more passionately than I could have imagined. He pulled me closer to him, without breaking our kiss, not wanting to leave any space between us. I moved my hands from his neck to his hair. He pulled back once more, just looking down at me, savoring the moment. He looked away, at my bed, nodded to it, then let me go. He turned and went to the door that led to his own room. He didn't have to use words to talk to me, I knew what he meant. I went into my closet and changed into my nightgown. I undid my hair, leaving it plain and down, and I quickly took off the small amount of makeup that I had been wearing before. Afterwards, I followed the path that Carter had taken to get to his room.

When I found him, he was changing, he had his soft silk pants on, but he hadn't yet put on his shirt. When he heard me enter, he turned around, revealing his sculpted and oh so muscular chest. He looked so bewildered that I couldn't help but laugh.

"So did you purposely take your time getting dressed?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

"Is that an issue for you, my dear?" he asked, smiling proudly at himself. I laughed as he chuckled. He came up to me, still shirtless, and picked me up. He me kissed once, then twice. He walked over to his bead, still carrying me, and set me down. He laid down beside me, both of us resting against each other, arm in arm, as close together as we could possibly be. I rested my head on his defined chest, and put my arm around his waist, holding him tightly, close to me. He looked down at me, brushed his hand along my back, and kissed the top of my head lightly.


End file.
